
'City Legends': Historian Ekaterina Kalemeneva on Her Favourite Places in St Petersburg
There are plenty of unexpected sides to St Petersburg: it is a city of writers, poets, architects, rock musicians and their admirers... It is multi-layered, but it always has a soul. Ekaterina Kalemeneva, Senior Lecturer at the Department of History, takes us on a textual walk around the city to find out where the biggest Beatles fan in the USSR lived, what Nabokov and Leningrad architects have in common, and where to find vinyl records.

From a Minor in Data Science to Developing a ‘Robot Political Scientist’
Pavel Ivanov is a 2023 graduate of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics'. Recently, he was named a winner of the political science research paper competition named after Max Weber and also participated in creating 'the first robot political scientist'. In his interview, Pavel shares his thoughts on his studies on the programme, his interest in data analytics, and the role of artificial intelligence in political expertise.

Armine Abrahamyan on Exchange Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg
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.
'City Legends': Philologist Dmitry Kalugin on His Favourite Places in St Petersburg
Let's continue our textual walks around St Petersburg with the lecturers of HSE University-St Petersburg, this time—with Dmitry Kalugin, Professor at the Department of Philology. Find out where you can find ghosts in the city, in which yard at Liteyny Prospect they sell interesting books and over which square the spirit of Dostoevsky hovers in the interview.

‘HSE University Became a Refuge for Me’
Choosing a profession is hard, and not everyone can do it straight away. Such was the case with Taş Elif Esra, an exchange student who came to HSE University from Turkey. Esra started her education in translation studies before finding her passion in sociology. Find out why she decided to change her major and what motivated her to take part in the mobility programme in this interview.

'It Was a Kaleidoscope of Emotions'—Daria Shturma on Organising Events for SDS, Curatorship and Friendship
A graduate of the Bachelor's programme 'International Business and Management', Daria Shturma, managed to try herself in various aspects of extracurricular life over four years of studies. She organised lots of events, was a curator for first-years, a host for several Doors Open Days and the SEM Ball. We talked to Daria about interesting stories from the life of an organiser, a new event of management curators and friendship.

‘The Research Process is Similar to Art’: Denis Stremoukhov on Teaching and Research
HSE professors actively engage in research and share their experiences with students. They also often participate in the management of educational activities. How do they manage to do everything in time? We talked to Denis Stremoukhov, Deputy Academic Supervisor of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics'. The professor told us how he manages to combine teaching, science and administrative activities. Read about students, new research topics, and his favourite books in this article.

‘I Really Wanted to Enrol at HSE University’
Since her school years in Kazakhstan, Darya Bashlayeva has dreamed about HSE University. Now, several years later, her dream has come true—she came to HSE University in St Petersburg under the exchange programme. She is currently studying the Chinese language, Asian literature and Political Science. Read on to learn more about Darya's story.

'City Legends': Physicist Igor Shenderovich on His Favourite Places in St Petersburg
St Petersburg can be very different—dress-up, mysterious and even funny. One story overlaps the other, the most important thing is to notice the details. This time, we will explore St Petersburg with Igor Shenderovich, Academic Supervisor of the Bachelor's programme 'Physics'. Learn in which building you can find a yearnful lion, what Mikhail Zoshchenko and the Suvorov Museum have in common, and why arches in the Malaya Okhta are popular in the interview.

Maksim Todinov on Exchange Studies at the University of Trento, Business Courses and Travelling
Maksim Todinov, second-year student of the Master’s programme ‘International Business’, went to the University of Trento, Italy, under the academic mobility programme. There, he took courses in management and finance, travelled in his free time, and immersed himself in the activities of local leather manufacturers. In his interview, Maksim explains how studies at the Italian university are structured, and shares five pieces of advice for those who plan to go on an exchange.