'We Explore Areas Where Much Remains Unknown'
Computational methods for analysing ancient and modern genomes make it possible to study the formation of genetic diversity in populations, reconstruct their history of mixing and migration, and trace the development of environmental adaptations. The HSE International Laboratory of Statistical and Computational Genomics applies mathematical methods and genetic data to address a wide range of issues across fields such as anthropology, epidemiology, and criminology. The HSE News Service spoke with the laboratory head, Vladimir Shchur, about its work.
Internal Clock: How Heart Rate and Emotions Shape Our Perception of Time
Our perception of time depends on heart rate—this is the conclusion reached by neuroscientists at HSE University. In their experiment, volunteers watched short videos designed to evoke specific emotions and estimated each video's duration, while researchers recorded their heart activity using ECG. The study found that the slower a participant's heart rate, the shorter they perceived the video to be—especially when watching unpleasant content. The study has been published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Environmental Regulation in Russia and India
In Schola’s latest instalment showcasing the winners of the International Academic Cooperation of HSE University competition, Aleksei Sorbale speaks about the project ‘Regional and Inter-Regional Associations in Norm-Building and Norm-Control in the Area of Environmental Regulation in Russia and India,’ carried out jointly with a research team from India’s University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES).
Generation Z's Digital Revolt: HSE Examines a Million Messages from Nepali Social Media
In September 2025, young people in Nepal took to the streets, armed not with party slogans but with online chats. Researchers at HSE analysed a million messages on a Discord server to understand the mechanics of youth protest. Experts discussed why the protesters identified themselves as Generation Z and what lessons can be drawn from this experience.
Scientists Identify Personality Traits That Help Schoolchildren Succeed Academically
Economists from HSE University and the Southern Federal University have found that personality traits such as conscientiousness and open-mindedness help schoolchildren improve their academic performance. The study, conducted across seven countries, was the first large-scale international analysis of the impact of character traits on the academic achievement of 10 and 15-year-olds. The findings have been published in the International Journal of Educational Research.
HSE Explores the Needs of Deaf People
World Deaf Day is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of September. This year, the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences joined the celebration and, together with the Moscow branch of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf (VOG Moscow), launched a study of the needs of hearing-impaired Moscow residents in terms of social services and accessible environments.
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Intellectual Capital in the Face of Shocks: Russia and Iran Explore Internationalisation
In today's issue of Schola, Mariya Molodchik, Senior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy and Professor at the School of Economics and Finance at HSE University’s Campus in Perm, discusses a joint project with Iran University of Science and Technology, titled 'Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries: The Role of Intellectual Resources in Response to Exogenous Shocks.'
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.
Critique of Obscure Reason: Artificial Intelligence in the Perception of Mathematicians
Mathematicians at HSE University believe that there is no need to fear losing jobs because of the widespread use of AI, while at the same time they warn against uncritical acceptance of works and projects prepared with its help. AI, however, can be a useful tool in research, creating models and processing large volumes of information.
HSE Researchers Determine Frequency of Genetic Mutations in People with Pulmonary Hypertension
For the first time in Russia, a team of scientists and clinicians has conducted a large-scale genetic study of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The team, which included researchers from the International Laboratory of Bioinformatics at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science, analysed the genomes of over a hundred patients and found that approximately one in ten carried pathogenic mutations in the BMPR2 gene, which is responsible for vascular growth. Three of these mutations were described for the first time. The study has been published in Respiratory Research.