News

Each year, hundreds of students from all over the world decide to pursue knowledge at HSE University- St Petersburg. This journey is filled with excitement, hopes, and discoveries: from choosing a programme, submitting documents, attending interviews, and passing entrance exams to receiving that coveted acceptance letter and finally arriving in Russia.

And once they take those first steps in a new country, an entire world of opportunities opens up, far beyond classrooms and lecture halls. Extracurricular life becomes an integral part of students’ experience, allowing them to delve deeper into the culture of the host country, make new friends, and uncover their talents. This article takes a closer look at all of these extracurricular activities.

Md Naoshad Jaman Chowdhury, 31, from Dhaka, Bangladesh, obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and an MBA (International Business) from Dhaka University and graduated from the Master’s Programme in Management and Analytics for Business of HSE University in St Petersburg. Now he works as an HR Analyst at Brain Station 23 PLC, a prominent software company in Bangladesh. Naoshad Jaman talked to the HSE News Service about his career path, the skills he acquired during his studies at HSE University, the challenges he faced while learning Russian, and his plans to become an academic—complete with a big cup of coffee and professor jokes.

On November 9, the building on Kantemirovskaya Street hosted Pakistani Culture Night. More than 80 people attended the event, including students and alumni of St Petersburg universities as well as Raja Qadeer Ahmed, a representative of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The event was organised by Syed Junaid Abbas, an international student of HSE University-St Petersburg.

Marina Merkucheva came to HSE University-St Petersburg as an exchange student. Her educational path is different from the majority of international students. Several years ago, Marina enrolled in the National Autonomous University of Mexico and moved from a small village next to Kirov to Mexico City. But in 2023, she decided to come back to Russia to study under the student exchange programme and became a student of the School of Art and Design at HSE University-St Petersburg. In the interview, she talks about the choice of university, explains how education in Russia and Mexico is different and shares her impressions of studying at HSE University campus in St Petersburg.

In March, the educational centre 'Sirius' hosted the World Youth Festival (WYF-2024). More than 300 thousand students from 188 countries applied for this event. Seven students from HSE University-St Petersburg were selected and took part in the festival programme.

Higher School of Economics always pays a lot of attention to international relations. This year, HSE University-St Petersburg laid the foundation for cooperation with the leading Indonesian universities. Recently, HSE University at Pokrovsky Bulvar in Moscow hosted the first festival of Indonesian culture 'Garuda'.

In August, the HSE University-St Petersburg Summer School came to an end. The participants attended courses in political science, Russian, and finance given by professors of HSE University-St Petersburg, got to know the city, and saw the sights as part of the cultural programme. The summer school hosted students from nine countries: China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Uzbekistan and Russia.

Armine Abrahamyan studies philosophy at the Russian-Armenian University in Yerevan. She came to St Petersburg under the mobility programme to expand her horizons and live up to her motto of 'never limit yourself'. This aspiration for new knowledge and experiences led her to HSE University-St Petersburg. Armine shared her impressions of the university and explained how studies in Russia and Armenia are different.