Master’s Students of HSE, University of Campinas, and Tsinghua University Publish Joint Student Research Collection
Master’s students of the HSE ISSEK programme ‘Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy’ have released a joint research collection with the University of Campinas (Brazil) and Tsinghua University (China) titled ‘Being Innovative or Being on the Safe Side—Managing the Risk of Failure.’ The authors explore how organisations perceive risks and embrace innovation within different cultural contexts.
The publication brings together works by first-year master’s students, each representing an independent study on how organisations manage innovation and risk. The authors examine how corporate culture shapes the willingness to take risks, which motivation systems foster creativity, and how institutional environments influence innovative behaviour.
In her paper, HSE master’s student Aigul Zamaletdinova shows that companies can strike a balance between innovation and stability by using hybrid risk management methods—from machine learning and scenario modelling to weak signal analysis and building a culture of ‘psychological safety.’ She emphasises that it is the combination of technology, analytics, and a mature corporate culture that transforms risk into a source of competitive advantage.
Valery Novozemtsev studied Russian corporate culture and its influence on innovation. He concludes that the punishment of initiative remains one of the key barriers to developing an innovative economy. In his view, it is crucial to create motivation systems that encourage risk-taking and initiative rather than suppress them.
HSE master’s student Alena Bernyukevich explores the criteria for determining the ‘right level of risk’ for companies, stressing that innovation readiness must be aligned with an organisation’s strategic goals and culture.
The collection also includes research papers by students from partner universities in Brazil and China, offering a global perspective that takes into account cultural diversity.
Dirk Meissner
‘The uniqueness of the ISSEK master’s programme lies in its combination of theoretical depth and international research practice. For students, this is not merely an academic project but a genuine contribution to the global debate on the future of innovation—and they gain this opportunity as early as their first year of study,’ notes Dirk Meissner, Academic Supervisor of the Master’s programme in Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy and editor of the collection.
Gustavo Hermínio Salati Marcondes de Moraes
Dr Gustavo Hermínio Salati Marcondes de Moraes, Associate Professor at the University of Campinas, highlights that ‘the importance and value of this collection lie not only in its findings, but also in its mission to bring together the perspectives of three universities from three different countries. Knowledge grows richer when it is built through dialogue, diversity, and cross-border collaboration.’
This is the second collection of student research published jointly with international universities as part of the master’s programme. The initiative helps prepare students for careers at the intersection of research, innovation, and policy, offers valuable experience in collaborative research and publication, and strengthens intercultural academic ties.
See also:
HSE University to Host Second ‘Genetics and the Heart’ Congress
HSE University, the National Research League of Cardiac Genetics, and the Central State Medical Academy of the Administrative Directorate of the President will hold the Second ‘Genetics and the Heart’ Congress with international participation. The event will take place on February 7–8, 2026, at the HSE University Cultural Centre.
HSE University Develops Tool for Assessing Text Complexity in Low-Resource Languages
Researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have developed a tool for assessing text complexity in low-resource languages. The first version supports several of Russia’s minority languages, including Adyghe, Bashkir, Buryat, Tatar, Ossetian, and Udmurt. This is the first tool of its kind designed specifically for these languages, taking into account their unique morphological and lexical features.
HSE Scientists Uncover How Authoritativeness Shapes Trust
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have studied how the brain responds to audio deepfakes—realistic fake speech recordings created using AI. The study shows that people tend to trust the current opinion of an authoritative speaker even when new statements contradict the speaker’s previous position. This effect also occurs when the statement conflicts with the listener’s internal attitudes. The research has been published in the journal NeuroImage.
Language Mapping in the Operating Room: HSE Neurolinguists Assist Surgeons in Complex Brain Surgery
Researchers from the HSE Center for Language and Brain took part in brain surgery on a patient who had been seriously wounded in the SMO. A shell fragment approximately five centimetres long entered through the eye socket, penetrated the cranial cavity, and became lodged in the brain, piercing the temporal lobe responsible for language. Surgeons at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital removed the foreign object while the patient remained conscious. During the operation, neurolinguists conducted language tests to ensure that language function was preserved.
HSE MIEM and AlphaCHIP Innovation Centre Sign Cooperation Agreement
The key objectives of the partnership include joint projects in microelectronics and the involvement of company specialists in supervising the research activities of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Plans also focus on the preparation of joint academic publications, the organisation of industrial placements and student internships, and professional development programmes for the company’s specialists.
HSE University and InfoWatch Group Sign Cooperation Agreement
HSE University and the InfoWatch Group of Companies marked the start of a new stage in their collaboration with the signing of a new agreement. The partnership aims to develop educational programmes and strengthen the practical training of specialists for the digital economy. The parties will cooperate in developing and reviewing curricula, and experts from InfoWatch will be involved in teaching and mentoring IT and information security specialists at HSE University.
Scientists Discover One of the Longest-Lasting Cases of COVID-19
An international team, including researchers from HSE University, examined an unusual SARS-CoV-2 sample obtained from an HIV-positive patient. Genetic analysis revealed multiple mutations and showed that the virus had been evolving inside the patient’s body for two years. This finding supports the theory that the virus can persist in individuals for years, gradually accumulate mutations, and eventually spill back into the population. The study's findings have been published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
HSE Scientists Use MEG for Precise Language Mapping in the Brain
Scientists at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have demonstrated a more accurate way to identify the boundaries of language regions in the brain. They used magnetoencephalography (MEG) together with a sentence-completion task, which activates language areas and reveals their functioning in real time. This approach can help clinicians plan surgeries more effectively and improve diagnostic accuracy in cases where fMRI is not the optimal method. The study has been published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.
HSE Scientists Develop DeepGQ: AI-based 'Google Maps' for G-Quadruplexes
Researchers at the HSE AI Research Centre have developed an AI model that opens up new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases, including brain cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Using artificial intelligence, the team studied G-quadruplexes—structures that play a crucial role in cellular function and in the development of organs and tissues. The findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
HSE Strategic Technological Projects in 2025
In 2025, HSE University continued its participation in the Priority 2030 Strategic Academic Leadership Programme, maintaining a strong focus on technological leadership in line with the programme’s updated framework. A key element of the university’s technological leadership strategy is its Strategic Technological Projects (STPs), aimed at creating in-demand, knowledge-intensive products and services.