Annual Workshop ‘Getting the Most Out of Living and Working in Russia’

On October 10, 2025, the International Faculty Support Centre welcomed newly hired international staff with the workshop ‘Getting the Most Out of Living and Working in Russia’.

The seminar was held with a view to providing our international colleagues with key ideas about Russian culture and with practical tips for going about their everyday life. The event brought together not only newcomers, but also those international faculty members who have been living in Russia for several years. An intercultural format of the workshop made for a truly engaging experience and offered a space where each participant had an opportunity to share their thoughts and insights and compare their home cultures with that in Russia.

Ekaterina Sukhanova

On September 1, 2025, new international faculty and researchers joined the HSE University’s team. They are highly qualified professionals from global academic job markets − from recent PhD graduates from leading universities to experienced international scholars. For many of them, moving to Russia will open a new chapter in their professional journey.

And the International Faculty Support Centre wants to make this transition as seamless as possible. That’s why at the beginning of every academic year we organize a series of events to help our international colleagues in this respect.

During the seminar, participants received a lot of practical tips, which can help understand Russians better. Moreover, the audience traced back the historical background of Russian distinctive traits, such as their communal and cooperative values, an inherent outlook on life, and attitudes to a multicultural environment.

The seminar also covered day-to-day topics. Participants learnt about buying groceries and shopping online, as well as how to address people politely, whether in the classroom or in the street.

Sergey Ishanov, Leading Psychologist at the HSE University Centre for Psychological Counselling, who was present at the meeting, spoke about culture shock and ways to overcome it.

Manuel Mijaíl Martínez-Ramos

Right after the workshop, Dr. Manuel Mijail Martinez Ramos, a post-doctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Computational Physics at the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Economics and Mathematics, shared his impressions from the seminar:

During the seminar, I had the opportunity to understand more about the broad Russian culture and society, which directly supports my adaptation process. I was also able to know more about the experience of cultural shock, and some psychological and practical aspects to cope with it and overcome it. I appreciate the commitment and generosity of the internationalization team, as well as the presence of the guest speaker.