Higher School of Economics

• 1. Founding And Early Development

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  On the 27th of November 1992, a government decree signed by Deputy Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar officially established the Higher School of Economics. This document marked the birth of an institution designed to replace the communist legacy in Russian higher education with market-oriented studies. The founders deliberately chose the name "school" instead of "university" to reference the London School of Economics. Yaroslav Kuzminov and Yevgeny Yasin led the effort to create this new entity from scratch. They secured funding from the European Union and the Government of France shortly after the decree was issued. The university began operations without a traditional library, relying instead on a rapidly created online resource system for training materials. Scholars were sent to study in the Netherlands while professors from the Sorbonne University and Erasmus Programme were invited to teach. By avoiding state education programs, HSE focused on translating advanced foreign textbooks as the basis for its curriculum. In 1993, the institution became the first university in Russia to introduce the Bologna education system. A Master's graduation occurred in 1995, followed by the first Bachelor's degree the next year.

• 2. Academic Expansion And Rankings

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  In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked the university at number 568 among Best Global Universities. The Center for World University Rankings placed it at position 881 during the same period. Academic Ranking of World Universities listed the school within the 801-900 group in 2020. QS World University Rankings showed fluctuating positions between 305 and 411 over several years leading up to 2022. THE World University Rankings positioned the institution between 251 and 300 in recent cycles. ShanghaiRanking's ARWU placed the university in the 801-900 range for 2020/21. The faculty of Sociology consistently appeared in the 51-75 range of global subject rankings from 2016 through 2021. Mathematics programs held a spot between 76 and 100 globally during that timeframe. Political Sciences research was ranked between 101 and 150 internationally in multiple years. Economics departments secured positions ranging from 151 to 200 worldwide according to various assessments. Business and Management studies achieved a top ranking of 126 in one year before dropping to 151-200 later. Engineering and Technology programs hovered around the 401-500 mark in global comparisons. Computer Science & Information Systems were rated between 151 and 200 by international bodies. Psychology programs maintained a standing between 151 and 175 across several evaluation periods.

• 3. Governance And Leadership Changes

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  Yaroslav Kuzminov served as the permanent rector since the university's establishment on the 27th of November 1992. He also participated directly in founding the institution alongside Yevgeny Yasin. In July 2021, Kuzminov resigned from his position as rector. Nikita Anisimov became the new rector following this departure. Kuzminov was elected to the post of Academic Supervisor after Yevgeny Yasin left for health reasons. Alexander Shokhin represented the university in interactions with governmental bodies as its President. Economists Oleg Ananin, Rustem Nureev, and Alexander Shamrin filled positions of vice-rectors at HSE. Sergey Kiriyenko and Vyacheslav Volodin sat on various university councils. Herman Gref, founder of Sberbank, and Viktor Vekselberg, president of Renova Group, were council members. Arkady Volozh, a Russian billionaire technology entrepreneur, joined the governance structure. Mikhail Zadornov chaired the management board of Otkritie FC Bank while serving on the council. Leonid Mikhelson, a major shareholder of Novatek, and Vadim Moshkovich, a philanthropist, were also part of the leadership team. Mikhail Prokhorov, a businessman and political activist, completed the list of notable council members.

• 4. Political Controversies And Censorship

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  During anti-government protests in 2009, many students and lecturers attended rallies organized by dissenters. The Moscow police requested that the administration expel participating students and fire professors involved in these activities. University officials refused to take the requested action, stating that individuals are not forbidden from participating in politics. In March 2011, debates took place between oppositionist Alexei Navalny and rector Yaroslav Kuzminov about public procurement laws. Representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development attended this event. Between 2018 and 2020, incidents occurred related to the "V Tochku" university talk show. Press secretary for the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov gave a speech at the program discussing Navalny and state discourse. The recording of his speech was not published on the HSE website as usual. A full transcription appeared later on the BBC website instead. The Department of Media and Communications apologized to students who protested against the case, calling it censorship. In 2020, several teachers were fired including Yelena Lukyanova, Alexander Kynev, and Kirill Martynov. These dismissals followed their public criticism of amendments to the Russian Constitution. Some fired faculty filed lawsuits demanding 550,000 rubles as compensation for moral damage. The Basmanny Court of Moscow refused their claims. In February 2021, the contract with guest teacher Anna Vellikok was terminated due to her arrest for retweeting information about an uncoordinated rally.

• 5. International Relations And Sanctions

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  Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the university, was suspended by the European University Association in March 2022. This action followed support for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Union of Rectors. The suspension occurred because Anisimov was diametrically opposed to European values committed to upon joining the association. Hamburg University of Applied Sciences suspended its relationship with HSE in response to the invasion. The Fletcher School at Tufts University also ended partnerships during this period. The School of Slavonic and East European Studies at UCL halted cooperation with the institution. Australian National University severed ties following the same geopolitical events. Ukraine sanctioned the Higher School of Economics in 2022. The university fired dozens of professors who protested against the invasion. These actions reflected a broader pattern of international academic isolation triggered by political decisions made within Russia. The university had previously collaborated with more than 500 partner universities mainly from Europe and Asia before these suspensions took effect.

• 6. Regional Campuses And Infrastructure

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  The first regional campus opened in Nizhny Novgorod in 1996. As of 2018, that campus housed a population of 2700 students and 320 faculty members. It ranked first among universities in Nizhny Novgorod regarding quality of budgetary admission. The Saint Petersburg campus was founded in 1997 and held a population of 5500 students and 485 faculty as of 2019. This location ranked third among socio-economic universities of Russia and second in the city by average USE admission score. The Perm campus established itself in 1997 with around 2000 students and 120 faculty by 2018. It achieved the 29th position in Russian rankings on enrollment quality during that year. A Bachelor's program called Business informatics took fourth place in the same ranking system in 2017. The campus collaborates with University of Essex and University of Évry Val d'Essonne to offer joint double-degrees. An online campus exists alongside physical locations in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, and Saint Petersburg. The Lyceum at HSE University operates within Moscow for high school students. In 2018, university income amounted to 17.76 billion rubles. Applied research commissioned by government agencies or private companies constituted up to 40% of total income.