Summer University Begins at HSE

In its fifth year already, the HSE Summer University was officially opened on June 20^th by Vice Rector, Ivan Prostakov. Over the next 8 weeks, HSE will provide almost 200 students, PhD candidates, postdocs and professionals from all around the world with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge in a wide range of fields. Many of the courses, all of which are taught in English, focus on areas such as politics, history, economics, and Russian and Eurasian cultures.

At the opening of the Summer University were approximately 15 students from Mexico, who, needless to say, were already in high spirits and enjoying the exciting celebrations surrounding the FIFA World Cup. Certainly, the Summer University is taking place under very special circumstances in 2018, and participants will all have the opportunity to experience this atmosphere in three of the four cities which are home to HSE– Moscow, St Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. More participants will continue to travel to Russia as their course start dates draw closer. Most courses last two to four weeks.

Vice Rector, Ivan Prostakov, warmly welcomed the newcomers: ‘We are very pleased to have you at the Higher School of Economics and we are confident that you made the right choice for this summer. The HSE Summer University is a unique opportunity to discover the fascinating history of Russia and its culture, as well as its modern and dynamic everyday life. This summer, you will be part of a group of students from 25 countries. This means you will gain not only new knowledge and international experience, but also make many new friends. We hope that you will enjoy the HSE Summer University and will return soon to HSE to study in one of our many other prestigious programmes.’

The first lecture held this morning was for the 2-week course ‘Six Sigma, Innovation and Entrepreneurship’. Present at the lecture was Juan Luis from Iteso (Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education), Mexico. When asked why he had chosen to participate in HSE Summer University, Juan Luis said, ‘HSE is one of the best Russian universities and ranks highly among international universities in many fields, so it made complete sense to apply. I’m also glad that HSE is based in the heart of Moscow – it’s a city that I’ve always been interested in and now I have easy access to everything it has to offer – history, culture, and of course, Russian language practice!’ Juan Luis will also travel to Rostov-on-don in the hope of seeing his country claim victory over Korea in the World Cup.

Juan Luis from Iteso (Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education), Mexico (right)

While the Summer University will no doubt be a lot of fun for everyone involved, it remains an educational experience. All courses have milestones that give students the opportunity to obtain ECTS credits (from 2 to 12) and the courses are taught by leading instructors at HSE.

Since its inception in 2014, the HSE Summer University has evolved in leaps and bounds. In its inaugural year, 12 courses were taught of a total 24 on offer and 42 people from 10 countries participated. By 2017, a mere 4 years down the track, 164 participants arrived in Russia from 22 countries including South Korea (64), Hong Kong (23), Great Britain (26), USA (21), and Germany (11), Austria, Vietnam, Greece, Egypt, India, Spain, Italy, Canada, China, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sudan, Taiwan, Tunisia and Turkey.

In 2018, courses will also be offered in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod and will be accompanied by a rich cultural and social program that will introduce participants to the HSE ‘student environment’ and Russian history and language.

Major international partners which finance and support involvement in the HSE Summer University include Seoul National University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, University of South Alabama, University of York, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).