Community Life at HSE

In addition to sharing academic interests and being involved in research and academic activities, the HSE team enjoys a vibrant community life. Different clubs, cultural events, outdoor activities and other projects enrich the extra-curricular time of our faculty, students, staff and guests.

HSE’s community events are usually open to all those involved with the University and often to the general public as well, though some may require prior registration. There are a number of activities, such as festivals, concerts, sports and trips, which can be enjoyed regardless of your proficiency in Russian. Some projects and clubs require a better understanding of the language, and can provide a good platform for socializing and networking, exchanging information with colleagues and improving your Russian skills. Naturally, some community events at HSE require fluent knowledge of Russian in order to participate fully.

This guide provides an overview of community activities at HSE and participation in the all events is the best environment for cultural and professional exchange.

There are many events which are regularly announced on HSE’s website, by mailout, or on our bulletin boards.

HSE Traditions and Annual celebrations

HSE has its own traditions and annual events, which allow everyone to enjoy the University’s atmosphere and spirit, despite the fact they are held predominantly in Russian.

HSE community events:

No language proficiency is required:

  • Sports 🏊
  • Dance
  • Music 🎶

Working language – English/Russian/other languages:

  • Social clubs and special-interest clubs 👨 👱

Working language – English/Russian:

  • Chorus 🎵
  • Theatre 
  • Orchestra 🎼

Working language – Russian

  • Open Lectures and Workshops 🕒
  • Discussions and meetings 

  • Sports

    A number of sport clubs for faculty and students are currently in operation at HSE. Please bear in mind that the time slots may change. To check the information, please get in touch with the necessary team or club and confirm your participation.

    If you are interested to visit the university gym, please follow the link. Please bear in mind that because of preventive measures gyms might be closed.

    If you like chess, HSE Chess Club welcomes professionals, amateurs, beginners and everyone else who is in love with this ancient game. Members of the club can participate in tournaments (blitz, classic, etc.), workshops with well-known players, simultaneous chess displays, and take classes for beginners. For further details, get in touch with the club on their VK page.

    The HSE Basketball League teams recruit new players in September and January. Leave your short profile in the 'Поиск команды' ('Team search') tab in the League's VK group or get in touch with the VK group admins in the 'Contacts' section.

    Everyone over 17 years of age is welcome to join the MIEM Club for Athletic Tourism. This club organizes camping trips, which include hiking, climbing, rafting, skiing, competitions, hiking weekends, and classes in athletic tourism. Please contact the club at info@tkhse.ru for more information.

    The HSE Yacht Club offers training for yachtsman-racer qualifications, as well as retraining and advanced training courses. All certificates are international and offer the opportunity to travel by water on your own throughout the world! Please send your enquiries to yachting2011@gmail.com or info@ecole-de-voile.ru.

    At the Sengenkan Aikido Club, you can learn the basic movements and techniques used in Aikido, a Japanese martial art developed and used mainly for self-defense, where the body’s own balance and flexibility are much more important than physical strength. Sengenkan Aikido does not involve meditation classes, and does not focus on the philosophical and religious aspects of Budo. The club’s language is English, as the trainer, Kevin Cancellaro, is an English teacher in a joint Bachelor’s programme at HSE and NES. Please contact Kevin at kcancellaro@nes.ru, or Belikov Dmitrii at belikov.dmitrii@gmail.com for more details.
    The ESN football team plays in the HSE First League  and welcomes both Russian and international players. New players are recruited in August-early September and in January. Email ESN HSE at hsemsk@esnrussia.org for the contact details of the captain.

    If you are fond of table tennis, you can play it at the Cultural Centre in room Z003 (building Z, basement floor) from 12 pm to 10 pm. All equipment is provided.

    For more information about Track and field (Athletics) in HSE University, open the link or contact Maria Ilyukhina.

  • Dance

    Everyone who is interested in dancing can attend dancing classes at the Cultural centre of HSE at Pokrovskiy bulvar. “Dance Time” event is free of charge and available for everyone. The classes take place in the Dance Hall of the Cultural centre on Monday and Thursday from 10:00 to 12:00. However, the schedule might change due to other event from the Cultural Centre. Up-to-date timetable is available at the website of the Centre.

    Please bear in mind that before visiting classes you should confirm your participation. For details please contact Darya Chernushich at dchernushich@hse.ru / +7-495-772-95-90 ext.27770 or Victoria Putilova at vputilova@hse.ru / +7-927-904-95-93.

  • Music

    The HSE Professors’ Club has been running various cultural events for many years already. The most popular events are musical evenings called Professors’ Wednesdays. These events have been held at HSE since 2003 and have featured musicians of various genres - from ballad singers to world-renowned jazz musicians.

    Musical evenings took place at HSE Professors’ Club not only on Wednesdays, as musicians’ schedules do not always allow them to choose the weekday. During pandemic the Centre of Music Projects was working online. But starting from May the concerts will be running at HSE Cultural centre at Pokrovskiy bulvar. The announcements about the concerts will be send through e-mail and posted in the event poster. Since music is a universal language itself, everyone can easily attend and enjoy these events.

  • Social clubs

    For all who are interested in different languages or cultures there are Social clubs of HSE University. The Social clubs are created to discuss the various news and topics of the countries, to know more about cultures, traditions, mentality, and to practice the language.

    The social clubs are the student organizations, but the employees can also take part in activities of the clubs. Homepages are in Russian.

     

  • Special-interest clubs

    • Go-club of HSE University is the place where everyone can learn how to play one of the most ancient game in the world.
    • If you are interested in Mafia game, join HSE Mafia Club.
  • Chorus

    HSE Chorus-band "Force Мажор" unites a group of people, who are inspired by music and want to fill their lives with music. Everyone who passes the audition can join the group. For more information, open the link.

  • Theatre

    HSE Theatre was established in 1997 by Andrew Vershinin. The Theatre School of acting exists since 1999. The key principle of the Theatre is to develop one’s acting skillset and one’s ability to work in a team toward a common goal. Once in two years the Theatre accepts new students into its family after passing the audition.

    Performance admission is free, but online registration in advance is required. More announcements can be found on the website, or on social media pages:

  • Orchestra

    HSE Orchestra was created in the fall of 2016 by the artistic director Vladimir Yatskevich, the winner of international competitions. The orchestra's repertoire includes both music by modern composers, including film soundtracks, as well as classical music.

    The orchestra has already performed at many concerts and cultural events of HSE such as the XCE Factor, the ‘Iron Egg’ student award ceremony, the opening and closing of the All-Russian Olympiad in Economics for schoolchildren in Voronovo, as well as the project to promote classical music among young people "Музыка по спиралям истории".

  • Open Lectures and Workshops

    A university is not only an educational and academic platform. It is also a source of new and insightful ideas, as well as projects that define the city’s social and cultural space. With this in mind, HSE holds an array of events at its premises that are open to anyone. Some of them, such as research seminars and workshops held by ICEF (International College of Economics and Finance), are in great demand and often enjoy a large attendance. Others, like lectures and additional optional courses offered by IGITI – Poletayev Institute for Theoretical and Historical Studies in the Humanities – on various subjects ranging from history to cinema, music and fashion, have already become a popular and beloved part of HSE’s community life.

    HSE also strives to create new platforms for communication, discussion and exchange of knowledge in the city.

  • HSE Lectorium

    Through its new project ‘University Open to the City’, HSE offers a large number of open lectures, while also promoting a new style of educational activity. These talks give participants an opportunity to listen to lectures by HSE scholars on the most interesting topics, while the University’s speakers get a chance to share their ideas with a wider audience and get their feedback.

    For further information about the ‘University Open to the City’ project, please visit this page (in Russian). Since 2014, HSE guests have also been invited to “HSE Open Talks”  – English-language lectures and discussions with the University’s international faculty are held as part of HSE Day – a traditional September event organized by the University in Moscow’s Gorky Park.

  • Discussions and Meetings

    There are a number of meetings and events, which are conducted exclusively in Russian, but should not go unmentioned because of their role and meaning for HSE. These meetings are open to everyone and help the University’s faculty and students to exchange views and interact with other important figures and institutions in Russia’s social, political and cultural life.

    More Important than Politics

    HSE’s Academic Supervisor Evgeny Yasin has always been an initiator of large practical, cultural and scientific events at the University. In 2007, Yasin, in cooperation with the Liberal Mission Foundation, launched a project to hold roundtable conferences. Each month, famous writers, social commentators, film directors, academics and public figures debate various topics related to culture, traditions, history and human values with HSE students and guests. Don’t miss announcements about this project’s upcoming meetings through its mailing list and on HSE’s website.

    Fans of Documentary

    Another ongoing project under the supervision of Evgeny Yasin is the Documentary Fans Club. The club is an educational project, which aims to acquaint audiences with the different aspects of contemporary Russian and European society through cinema. The project shows the best documentaries, often winners of prestigious film festivals. Furthermore, participants get to discuss the best quality examples of domestic and foreign cinema.

    Do not miss information about forthcoming meetings through its mailing list and on HSE’s website.

    Christmas Film Seminar

    Each year, on ‘Western Christmas Eve’ (December 24), the Laboratory for Studies in Economic Sociology arranges a film screening to sum up the year, view its outcomes from various angles, and debate how to make the upcoming year better. These seminars are headed by HSE First Vice Rector Vadim Radaev and culture expert Vitaly Kurennoy.

    The hosts choose a current film, which characterizes the state of affairs in Russian society, and then initiate a lively discussion on the topics raised by the film. The Christmas Film Seminar is one of the most anticipated annual events at HSE.

    The University’s staff can find out about these events on HSE’s website in the All Events section.