Institute of Asian and African Studies

HSE University-St Petersburg held the 3rd International Academic Conference ‘Army, Elites, and Society in the Middle East and North Africa’. The event brought together researchers from Russia, Oman, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and several other countries.

On 21 October 2025, a working meeting was held in St Petersburg between representatives of the Institute for Oriental and African Studies and a delegation from Inha University, Republic of Korea.

Recently, Popcorn Books released the Russian edition of the Taiwanese manhua “ About Cats and the Sea” , translated by Ekaterina Naumova , a graduate of HSE University – St. Petersburg. We asked Ekaterina to share her experience working on this translation — the choices she made, the challenges she faced, and the emotions she carried with her throughout the process.

The Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg is preparing to hold the international conference 'Army, Elites and Society in the Middle East and North Africa'. How large research projects appear and why international cooperation is important for Asian and African studies—read on to find out from Milana Iliushina, head of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies.

The International Partners Week 2025 became one of the most important international events of the year for the Institute for Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg. After five days of the forum, experts in Asian and African studies from HSE University-St Petersburg held negotiations with representatives of 18 global universities from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, signed important agreements and shaped the directions for international cooperation in the future. Professor Evgeny Zelenev, Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, shares the results of IPW-2025.

HSE University-St Petersburg hosted an open lesson on the Vietnamese language for students of 'Asian and African Studies' in the framework of the International Partners' Week and the V Festival of the Vietnamese language.

HSE University–St Petersburg has held the first 'Studies of Oman in Russia: New Directions for Scientific Research' international research seminar. The event gathered researchers from Russia, Oman, and Europe and served as a platform for an open academic dialogue.

An HSE delegation, led by Rector Nikita Anisimov, visited China for negotiations with the administration of the country’s top universities. The parties agreed to expand bilateral scientific and educational collaboration and signed several documents. In particular, a strategic partnership agreement was established with Peking University, one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in China.

Language internships provide essential training for experts in Middle Eastern studies. Students of HSE University–St Petersburg can complement their studies by immersing themselves in the language environment and culture of the relevant region. Find out more about internships in Morocco from bachelor's students of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies at the Institute of Asian and African Studies.

As part of a trip to Japan in March 2025, a delegation from HSE St. Petersburg, led by Campus Director Anna Tyshetskaya, visited a number of major universities in Japan: Sofia University (Tokyo), Hosei University (Tokyo), Tokai University (Tokyo), Kwansei University (Kobe), Osaka University (Osaka) and others. The delegation from the Institute of Asian and African Studies included the head of the Department of Japanese Studies Olga Klimova and senior lecturer Artyom Klimov.