HSE University-St Petersburg Students Speak at the Diplomatic Conference in Malaysia
HSE University-St Petersburg students took part in the conference 'Russian-Malaysian Youth Cooperation Dialogue' organised by the Russian House and the International Youth Centre at the University of Malaya. The event is timed to mark the 100th anniversary of Russian public diplomacy.
The discussion brought together international experts in youth policy, education, and culture, as well as young scientists and professors. HSE University-St Petersburg was represented by third-year students of the bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics'. In the framework of the academic mobility programme, the students are spending a semester at the University of Malaya (Universiti Malaya). The university is traditionally considered one of the leaders in education quality in Southeast Asia, and also ranks 58th in the world ranking 'QS World University Rankings'.
Sofia Kotereva
Manager at the International Student Mobility Office
Participation in the event of such scale proves that international academic mobility programmes are not just studies in a different country but a chance to get invaluable experience, try on new roles and even present your home university at an international event. We are grateful to our colleagues from the Russian House in Malaysia for the opportunity to be a part of the international dialogue.
Future political scientists Victoria Baturina, Andrey Klementev, Zakhar Rai, Elizaveta Fomina and Ivan Prikotenko spoke at two sessions: 'Youth Diplomacy' and 'Cultural Exchange'. They shared their experience of studying in Malaysia, social elevators and similar cultural traditions in the two countries.
'I was happy to take part in this conference. It's a good chance to share my experience of participating in the Russian youth policy with Malaysian colleagues and pick up local practices of involving the younger generation in political processes. I would also like to highlight that it was interesting to listen to the stories of those who studied in Russia. It turned out that there were a lot of them', shared Andrey Klementev.
Victoria Baturina was surprised by how well the experts knew the Russian context. At the conference, she 'tried on' a role of doctor of sciences.
'I was struck by the event size, starting from the opening ceremony and the speech of Sergey Lavrov. In fact, it was unusual to sit at the round table with the invited experts, among doctors of sciences—to whom I was accidentally but pleasantly assigned—and hear lots of admiration for their trips to Russia. The atmosphere at the event was very warm. All the Malaysians tried to speak Russian (let alone that many people already mastered it), and in turn, we tried to overcome the cultural barrier and explain our jokes (about doctors of sciences and doctor sausage). I managed to make a lot of useful and pleasant acquaintances, which open opportunities for further international cooperation'.
'I was glad to contribute to the foundation of the Russian-Malaysian relations and use the chance provided by the consulate and university. The experience of this international conference will be one of the main memories of our academic mobility programme', added Ivan Prikotenko.
Svyatoslav Kvartalnov
Director of the Representative Offices Department
Svyatoslav Kvartalnov, director of the Representative Offices Department at HSE University-St Petersburg, highlighted that university students and staff are always ready to answer the requests of international partners quickly and maintain high-quality results.
'Work in Southeast Asia requires high speed, accuracy and an ability to act on the spot. We see partners' requests, and we know how to answer them quickly and substantively. This is what happened in Malaysia: after meeting the exchange students and learning about their projects, we almost immediately got a request from the Russian House to involve them in the new event. I would like to emphasise the team spirit with which the students worked. In a matter of days, they created a concept, assigned roles, prepared the materials and performed in perfect harmony with the style which we consider a distinguishing feature of HSE University-St Petersburg: in-depth, professional, thoughtful and very collected. It is a wonderful example of how our students can unite, offer solutions and work as one team abroad. HSE University-St Petersburg is about strategic flexibility, speed and strong team spirit, which shows regardless of the place where our students and employees work', summed up Svyatoslav Kvartalnov.
In November 2025, the delegation from HSE University-St Petersburg participated in the first International Week of the University of Malaya. Besides, HSE University-St Petersburg and the University of Technology Malaysia signed a development roadmap for the mirror laboratory on social entrepreneurship.
