First Steps Together: The Buddy System That Welcomes HSE’s Global Community

For many international students, arriving in a new country means stepping into the unknown  new language, new systems, new streets, and new beginnings. 

At HSE University, that journey is made smoother through the Buddy System, a student-led initiative built on kindness, guidance, and friendship. This volunteer program connects newcomers with local and experienced international students who dedicate their time to helping others settle into life in Moscow. From navigating transportation and opening bank accounts to exploring campus life and city culture, the Buddy System turns the challenge of adaptation into a story of shared discovery, warmth, and belonging.

Landing in Moscow for the first time can be both thrilling and overwhelming. The city’s vastness, its language, and its pace may seem daunting to newcomers who have just touched down at one of its airports, carrying not just luggage but also dreams and expectations. That is where the Buddy System at HSE University steps in a network of volunteers who turn what could be confusion into confidence and loneliness into community.

The program, run by passionate student volunteers, pairs each new international student with a “buddy,” often a Russian or an experienced foreign student who knows the ropes of HSE life. Long before classes begin, buddies are already in touch with their assigned students, answering questions online, helping them arrange transport from the airport, and preparing them for their first days in Russia.

Once in Moscow, the real adventure begins. Buddies meet their students in person, often greeting them at train stations or dormitory entrances with a smile and a few words of reassurance. They guide them through the essential first steps, like registering their stay, obtaining medical insurance, purchasing a SIM card, opening a bank account, and filling in university documents. For many newcomers, these moments of support mark the first friendships they form in their new city.

But the Buddy System extends far beyond paperwork and logistics. It’s about exploration, connection, and cultural exchange. Buddies lead tours around HSE’s campuses, helping students find key places like their faculty buildings, study offices, libraries, and canteens. They show them where to grab a quick coffee between classes or where the quiet corners for study sessions are hidden. Through these simple gestures, a new student begins to feel not like a visitor, but like a part of something bigger.

The exploration continues outside the university gates. Moscow, with its grand architecture and endless rhythm, becomes a shared classroom. Buddies introduce newcomers to the metro system,  a piece of art in itself, and explain how to pay for rides, use city cards, or order a taxi. They share tips on grocery shopping, local apps, and how to order food or clothes online. Every small piece of guidance makes the city feel a little more familiar, a little more like home.

Yet, what truly defines the Buddy System is not the information shared, but the relationships built. Many students describe their buddies as their “first friends in Russia,” people who not only answered questions but also stood by them in the first confusing weeks, sometimes becoming friends for life. For the volunteers themselves, the experience is equally rewarding. They gain intercultural experience, practice foreign languages, and learn empathy through helping others find their footing.

HSE’s Buddy System thrives on the idea that education is not only about academic knowledge but also about human connection. The university recognizes that support networks are essential for success and well-being, and this program represents the best of HSE’s international community -open-minded, inclusive, and full of initiative students.

As the semester unfolds, new students, who once relied on their buddies, often choose to become buddies themselves, continuing the circle of help and friendship. It’s a tradition that renews itself each year one smile, one message, one helping hand at a time.

At its heart, the Buddy System is not merely a program. It’s a quiet promise that no one arrives alone, no one walks lost, and no one leaves unchanged. It’s the moment when a strange city begins to feel like a home and when a university becomes a family.

Shared by

Mahmoud Karim