HSE University Publishes Seventh Issue of Russian Regional Innovation Scoreboard
Moscow has kept its leading position on the Russian Innovational Scoreboard. The city demonstrates the highest level of economic, educational, and digital development. Second place goes to Saint Petersburg, and third place goes to the Republic of Tatarstan. The leaders also include the Tomsk Region, the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and the Moscow Region. These are the main results of the seventh issue of the Russian Innovational Scoreboard prepared by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), HSE University.
Researchers Outline Specific Patterns in Reading in Russian
Psycholinguists from the HSE Center for Language and Brain, in collaboration with researchers from the City University of New York and the University of Stuttgart, investigated how reading in Russian varies among different groups of readers. The authors used a novel method in bilingualism research — comparison of the eye-movement sequences (scanpaths) in adult native speakers of Russian, Russian-speaking children, and adult bilinguals with different levels of Russian proficiency. The results of the study were published in Reading Research Quarterly.
Make the Most of the Sun
Professor Alexey Tameev of HSE MIEM, along with a team of colleagues, has proposed a calculation method to determine the optimal photoactive layer thickness which can maximize the power conversion efficiency of solar cells. Applicable for both polymer andperovskite solar cells, the method can become a milestone on the path from laboratory samples to solar cells made from new generation materials. The results of the research are covered in ‘A common optical approach to thickness optimization in polymer and perovskite solar cells’, an article published in Scientific Reports.
Graphene Drum: Researchers Develop New Phonon Laser Design
Professor Konstantin Arutyunov of the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE), together with Chinese researchers, has developed a graphene-based mechanical resonator, in which coherent emission of sound energy quanta, or phonons, has been induced. Such devices, called phonon lasers, have wide potential for application in information processing, as well as classical and quantum sensing of materials. The study is published in the journal Optics express.
‘Today, Studies Visible to the World, and Not Only to Russia, Are Being Recognized’
After its impressive performance in the recent Shanghai Global Ranking, HSE University is now the highest-ranking Russian university in a number of subject rankings, as well as the only Russian university in five subjects, including Education. Isak Froumin , Head and Professor of the HSE Institute of Education, spoke with the News Service about the factors for HSE’s success.
First Simultaneous Observation of a Fast Radio Burst in Radio and Gamma Bands
A team of scientists from the Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, HSE University, Sternberg Astronomical Institute (SAI) and NASA announced the first simultaneous observation of a fast radio burst from a galactic object and its 'equivalent' in the X-ray range. The source direction of the burst coincides with the position of the active magnetar SGR 1935+2154, and analysis of the signal in the two energy bands will improve our understanding of the nature of fast radio burst phenomena. The results are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Total Transition to Online Learning Has Been a Time of Challenge and Innovation for Universities
The new issue of HERB magazine focuses on understanding what it has been like for universities during the pandemic. Article authors described the risks faced by students and teachers, the introduction of new learning formats, and remotely implemented projects. They also shared their initial thoughts on the development of the university environment in the post-pandemic period.
Remote Learning Struggles: Undergraduates’ Anxieties at the Onset of Online Learning
A year ago, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns caused Russian universities to switch to distance learning. Emergency digitalisation, embracing new teaching and learning formats and switching to remote teacher-student communication — all of this was a challenge, but the universities found ways to cope. Students also learned some vital lessons outside of the curriculum. This unusual, challenging situation gave rise to various fears and concerns about distance education — and also highlighted what remains essential to the learning process, no matter its mode.
Baselines and Historical Territorial Waters: How Russia Can Protect Its Rights in the Artic
Climate change-induced ice melting in the Arctic has led to contradictions in the assessment of Russia’s rights in the region. As ice cover diminishes, Russia may be losing its influence on the territories that it has historically developed. This is partially due to the changing width of territorial waters by low-water lines. However, there are alternative legally valid ways to establish fair borders, which are described by researchers of the HSE Institute of Ecology in their paper ‘Prospects for the evolution of the system of baselines in the Arctic’.
Creative Moscow: Ahead of Hong Kong and Melbourne, but Far behind Beijing and London
Moscow is not only Russia’s official capital, but its creative capital as well. 54% of the added value of the country’s creative industries is generated here. This was one of the findings presented in the report, ‘Moscow’s Creative Economy in Figures’, prepared jointly by HSE researchers and the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.