International Research Network of Satellite Laboratories on Social Entrepreneurship Expands to Seven Countries
At the HSE St Petersburg International Partners' Week, the members of the Consortium on Social Entrepreneurship signed the expanded manifesto about cooperation in the sphere of sustainable development, summarised the results of the first working year and took into their ranks the campus in Lima of the University of Piura (Peru).
At IPW-2026, the parties signed the second manifest of the university consortium, which expanded its membership and areas of focus. The international research network, which developed from the joint initiative of HSE University-St Petersburg and University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) in 2023, now unites nine universities from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
Anna Tyshetskaya
First Vice Rector of HSE University
'When launching the project, first of all, we relied on an open dialogue and common interests. This strategy has justified itself, so every year, we scale up. Real international cooperation is above all innovative ideas, trust and aspiration to create something important together. We keep supporting initiatives of the Consortium and contribute to the community development', underscored Anna Tyshetskaya, First Vice Rector of HSE University, during the ceremony of the manifesto signing.
Maria Pia Chirinos Montalbetti, Vice Rector and Director of the campus in Lima of the University of Piura, highlighted: 'Russia is one of the most important countries in the global economy, so it is important for us to be its partner. Cooperation with the university, which is among the top ones in Russia, opens new horizons for our students and professors and at the same time becomes a major challenge. We appreciate the opportunity to get to know other cultures and believe that together, we can reach great success’.
The scientists summarised the results of the first work year of the Consortium at the conference 'The Human-Centred University: Forging the Fifth Generation University through Social Mission, Entrepreneurship, and the Solidarity Economy'. Over this time, the Consortium has held two international conferences and two expert days, prepared a database of case studies and a dataset on social entrepreneurship. HSE University opened a representative office at the Brazilian University of Campinas—for the first time, it is in the form of an international research 'living' laboratory. They launched three long-term projects: research of social entrepreneurs in more than ten countries, the analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and education in this sphere, as well as the collective monograph for a foreign publishing house. The Consortium events involved 130 HSE students.
Among the work results was the publication of the book in English and Russian, 'Bridging Horizons: Social Entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Russia'. The team of authors was headed by Magdalena Gaete, head of the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education (RepLab) at HSE University-St Petersburg, and Haliyana Khalid, Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation at the Azman Hashim International Business School at the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM).
Magdalena Gaete
Head of the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education
'This book unites the research experience of Russia and Malaysia by showing social entrepreneurship from different perspectives—management, sociology and other sciences. For us, it was important to make this knowledge available not just in English (at first, the book was released in Kuala Lumpur) but also for the Russian-speaking audience because the Consortium was created as an open space for knowledge exchange', emphasised Magdalena Gaete.
'What started three years ago as cooperation between several researchers and universities has now turned into an international academic community. For us, it is especially important that this partnership develops naturally. It unites people from different countries around common research interests and projects, which could be of practical use for society', underscored Ali Selamat, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Alumni at the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM).
The conference participants discussed how higher education can respond to the modern public challenges, support social innovations and build development models aimed not only at economic indicators but also at the people's well-being. The concept of the 'University of the Fifth Generation' is a model in which universities help to develop solutions for cities and local communities, launch joint projects with non-profit organisations and involve students in solving specific tasks.
Thus, Varvara Kulkova, chief expert at the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education at HSE University, and analyst Polina Mironova study cases of social enterprises and work of infrastructure support centres, as well as interaction of entrepreneurs with states, universities and local communities.
'In the framework of research, I am conducting a series of in-depth interviews with social entrepreneurs from different Russian regions and studying how they find partners, build professional ties and maintain their projects' sustainability. I am eager to find out what forms of cooperation really help the development, and which ones are more formal in nature', said Polina Mironova.
'In the upcoming years, we want to develop the Consortium as an open international platform for knowledge exchange, and by 2028, to open a research centre for social entrepreneurship and sustainable development', summed up Magdalena Gaete.
HSE St Petersburg International Partners' Week annually brings together more than a hundred representatives of universities, research centres and educational organisations from different countries. During the forum, the participants discuss up-to-date tendencies in science and higher education, present joint projects and develop academic ties.
