Harnessing Synergy
Through its Mirror Laboratories project, HSE University develops collaborations with academic institutions across the country. Today, it includes 22 ongoing projects in partnership with 20 universities in mathematics, computer science, economics, sociology, biology, history and many other fields. Marina Litvintseva, Director for Advanced Research at HSE University, coordinates international and mirror laboratory projects. In this year’s second issue of The HSE LooK, she talked about the development of mirror laboratories and the future of the project.
Marina Litvintseva
Mirror Laboratories: Partnerships with Institutions in Various Regions
Mirror laboratories are joint research projects between HSE University and its partner institutions. Launched in 2020, this format was the first inter-university initiative of its kind aimed at developing networks and collaborative partnerships, while also enhancing cooperation in research and academic activities between HSE University and other leading Russian academic institutions.
They are referred to ‘mirror’ labs as it implies the financing of projects on parity terms and pooling research resources from both sides: providing each other with necessary expertise, sharing analytical methodology and results, conducting training seminars for each other and hosting interns. Thus, research activities may be carried out by joint project teams over a period of three years with the option for extension.
Mirror lab projects can be carried out in various fields and a diverse array of formats, which we strongly encourage.
Our local partner universities might have high-quality databases, but lack the expertise for engaging in quantitative analysis. Or, the partner universities possess a resource that our staff members can use for their own theoretical activities and vice versa.
The HSE Centre for Sociocultural Research, for instance, is cooperating with Kuban State Technological University (KSTU) to complement their recent public opinion polls with a sample of young people from Krasnodar Krai, thereby formulating broader hypotheses in regard to the whole country. Furthermore, our partners at KSTU are also interested in the project because we are willing to share our knowledge and expertise on this research method. Mirror lab projects can also stimulate new research agendas and foster the development of external projects for independent clients. Moreover, they can be multidisciplinary. As such, the HSE Laboratory for Intelligent Systems and Structural Analysis is developing mathematical models of venous outflow obstruction in the lower extremities for surgeons working out of Surgut State University
Mirror lab competitions are open to all research subdivisions at HSE University.
There are no limits about specific research areas that can be developed.
The only important condition is that both sides, HSE University and its partner institution, operate a formalized research subdivision engaged in studies concerning a given topic. Under the best circumstances, there should be experts at both universities with matching research interests, or people who can share their theoretical and practical knowledge.
Today, we have 22 ongoing projects in partnership with 20 regional universities across the country, from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad and from Surgut to Krasnodar. The projects concern such fields as mathematics, computer science, nanoelectronics, electrical engineering, physics, economics, sociology, linguistics, biology, education, psychology, and recent history.
The Idea Behind the Project
Close cooperation with Russia’s regions is an integral part of the HSE Strategic Development Programme. The Mirror Laboratories project was created to promote our academic work beyond our campuses. We have always known that our research subdivisions have built effective partnerships with the regions and wanted to come up with an initiative that would consolidate and further develop their efforts. Moreover, funding gave our staff the opportunity to institutionally support their established contacts through joint seminars, conferences and visits to partner institutions.
The goal of this project is not to help the regions, but rather find partners among them to work on high-class research projects. Another aim is to attract young people to work as research assistants, whereby students can fulfil their potential.
This has been the grassroots initiative of the University as we have been the first Russian academic institution to announce a competition aimed at maintaining research networks within the country. Interestingly, some of the mirror labs have evolved from international laboratories. Our Centre for Sociocultural Research, for instance, used to be an international lab that has then brought their international contacts and acquaintances to new joint projects. Mirror laboratories, therefore, can pass on the best practices of HSE University, through its international laboratories, to regions, harnessing an overall synergy.
Widening the Range of Partners and Research Topics
Judging by the feedback and the high number of applications that we receive throughout the year, we can see that the project is interesting not only to our research subdivisions, but also our other colleagues from all over Russia. However, the committee only selects those applications that that they find promising and this year, the proposed projects must match the University’s 2030 Development Programme.
We are always excited to read project proposals, especially if they are interdisciplinary.
The range of partners and research topics is widening as well: the proposed projects can now go outside of the specific research areas of units making applications. Last year, we were fascinated by applications from HSE MIEM (we found out about the agricultural IoT project) and St Petersburg. So, let’s see what’s in store this year!
Plans for Further Development
Another area where we see growing demand is grant funding for project collaboration between research teams within HSE University itself. For example, a research team from any HSE campus can find partners at another campus and, carry out research together. This might be another type of mirror laboratory, which is already operating at the University. We may consider financing the establishment of research units if, for example, there is a professor with two or three students who have a successful local engagement, but more major work is being done at another campus. For instance, the University already has two labs financed in a similar way: the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (located at HSE University-Perm and HSE University-St Petersburg, respectively) and the Centre for Language and Brain (located at HSE University-Moscow and HSE University-Nizhny Novgorod, respectively).
See also:
Living with Volcanoes and Tsunamis
It is not easy to get university graduates and students interested in living and working in Kamchatka, a remote region with harsh natural conditions and an extreme climate. Mirror Laboratories, a joint project of the HSE Institute of Education and Kamchatka State University (KamGU), encourages the development of ‘explorer’ competencies and the modernisation of the region’s education system. The HSE News Service discussed the project with Taras Pashchenko, Chief Expert of the HSE Laboratory for Curriculum Design.
Electronics of the Future: Why Superconductors and Spintronics Work Together
It was once believed that superconductivity and magnetism avoided each other like the devil avoids holy water. However, modern nanostructures prove the opposite. A Russian theoretical physicist and Indian experimentalists have joined forces to create the electronics of the future—free from energy losses. Nataliya Pugach, Professor at the School of Electronic Engineering at HSE MIEM and Leading Research Fellow at the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, explains how a long-standing acquaintance in Cambridge grew into a mirror laboratory project with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), how superconducting spintronics works, and what surprises a researcher in India beyond the university campus.
HSE University Installs Geoscan Station at IIT Bombay
A Russian ground station for receiving SONIKS satellite data has been installed on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). Developed by Geoscan, the system will become part of a mirror laboratory project run jointly by HSE University and one of India’s leading universities.
HSE Physicists Propose Unified Theory for Describing Electric Double Layer
To develop more efficient batteries and catalysts, it is essential to understand the processes occurring at the metal–solution interface in the electric double layer (EDL). Physicists at HSE MIEM have proposed a unified theoretical model of the EDL that simultaneously accounts for selective adsorption of ions on the surface and partial charge transfer between ions and the metal—phenomena that had previously been described separately. The model’s predictions are consistent with experimental data. In the future, it may be used in the development of batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysts. The study has been published in Electrochimica Acta.
'Our Research Is Primarily Focused on Developing Lasers as Carriers of Information'
The International Laboratory of Quantum Optoelectronics at HSE University–St Petersburg develops semiconductor microlasers. The components and systems created by the laboratory also enable high-speed data transmission and processing. Natalia Kryzhanovskaya, Head of the Laboratory and Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, spoke with the HSE News Service about the laboratory’s research areas and future prospects.
HSE to Launch Laboratories in Space Research and Nanoelectronics with One of India’s Top Universities
Scientists from the HSE University and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) will carry out joint research in the storage, transmission, and processing of data in space systems. A second major project will be a laboratory for superconducting spintronics—a promising field in modern nanoelectronics.
HSE and UTM Present Results of Mirror Laboratory's Work at Russian–Malaysian Commission
HSE University–St Petersburg and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) presented the results of two years of work and a development roadmap for the mirror laboratory on social entrepreneurship. The document outlines the strategy for global transformation in the business and digital innovation sphere.
'We View Mathematics as a Universal Language for Natural Sciences, Economics, and Computer Science'
The Laboratory for Geometric Algebra and Applications at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences is developing a universal language for mathematics, physics, and other exact and natural sciences. It is creating computational methods that are applied in geometry, physics, machine learning, engineering, computer science, and other fields. The laboratory’s staff, including doctoral students, have published numerous articles in leading scientific journals and have taken part in major international conferences. Dmitry Shirokov, Head of the Laboratory, spoke with the HSE News Service about their work.
HSE Researchers Introduce Novel Symmetry-Aware Neural Network Architecture
Researchers at the HSE Laboratory for Geometric Algebra and Applications have developed a new neural network architecture that can accelerate and streamline data analysis in physics, biology, and engineering. The scientists presented their solution on July 16 in Vancouver at ICML 2025, one of the world's leading conferences on machine learning. Both the paper and the source code are publicly available.
'Biotech Is Booming Worldwide'
For more than five years, the International Laboratory of Bioinformatics at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science has been advancing cutting-edge research. During this time, its scientists have achieved major breakthroughs, including the development of CARDIOLIFE—a unique genetic test unmatched worldwide that predicts the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. With the active participation of HSE students, including doctoral students, the team is also working on a new generation of medicines. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Laboratory Head Maria Poptsova shares insights into their work.