HSE Academics Elected Fellows of the British Academy
Galin Tihanov, Chief Research Fellow of Poletayev Institute for Theoretical and Historical Studies in the Humanities and Professor of Queen Mary University of London, and Sergey Ivanov, Professor of the HSE Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies (IOCS) have been elected fellows of the British Academy. In an interview with the HSE News Service, Sergey Ivanov speaks about this important event, his new responsibilities as a fellow of the Academy, and his short-term research plans.
At the Intersection of Culture and Socio-Economic Development
In its capacity as a venue for integrating Russian and international cross-cultural psychologists, the HSE Centre for Sociocultural Research has been researching the values of people in post-Soviet states and other countries for over a decade. Nadezhda Lebedeva, Director of the Centre and Professor of the Faculty of Social Sciences, speaks about the leading world researchers working at the Centre, the transmission of values among adolescents and their psychological well-being, and the connection between creativity and the acceptance of cultural differences.
HSE Rector: In Order to Deal with All Our Tasks, We’ll Need Teamwork
Nikita Anisimov has held his first meeting of the Board of Tenured Professors as HSE University Rector. HSE Academic Supervisor Yaroslav Kuzminov also participated in the event. They told the board members that the university’s development priorities remain the same, while the professors expressed their commitment to helping the new administration. They also discussed the renewal of the board, by including representatives of different research fields and young scholars from all HSE campuses.
‘In Many Cases, We Are Falling Behind not by Years, but by Orders of Magnitude’: HSE Experts Suggest Ways to Speed Up Russia’s Technological Development
Yaroslav Kuzminov, HSE Academic Supervisor, and Leonid Gokhberg, First HSE Vice Rector, spoke at an expert meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, on issues of Russia’s technological development. They outlined the current state of research and development and offered suggestions on how to gear the economy towards innovation.
How Income and Political Preferences Affect Attitudes towards Quarantine and Vaccination
In a webinar for the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Professor Konstantin Sonin talked about the impact of income, social status and political beliefs on mask-wearing compliance, social distancing and willingness to get vaccinated.
2D:4D Ratio Is Not Related to Sex-Determined Finger Size Differences in Men And Women
The ratios between the lengths of the second and fourth fingers, known as the 2D:4D ratio, are different in males and females, which is often explained by levels of androgens and oestrogens. However, an alternative theory states that men have bigger body parts, including fingers, which impacts the 2D:4D ratio. A research team including HSE University scholars refuted this hypothesis by collecting data on finger length from 7,500 people. The results of the study were published in Scientific Reports.
‘A Good Thing about Mathematical Thinking Is That It Knocks Some Sense into Your Brain’
HSE University maintains active cooperation with the Academy of Science institutes, which open joint departments at the university and provide their best experts for teaching and research. HSE News Service talked to Deputy Directors of the RAS Steklov Mathematical Institute (MIRAS) — RAS member Lev Beklemishev andSergey Gorchinskiy — about the development of mathematics in the modern world, career opportunities for graduates in mathematics, and the specifics of researchers’ work with students.
‘We Are Competing for the Best Scholars and We Don’t Want Our New Colleagues to Rest on Their Heels’
At the meeting of the Rector’s Council on June 23, seven issues were considered, including the vaccination of staff and students, postgraduate and dissertation councils, the development of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme at the University, and the HSE library. Members of the Rector’s Council additionally discussed the regulations on the organisation of training concerning MicroDegree-granting programmes.
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.
HSE University to Take Action on Grade Inflation
HSE University’s administration is determined to prevent the lowering of grading standards for students’ academic performance. Teachers will be receiving new grading guidelines in the next two weeks. The proposed grading criteria will become mandatory for all courses. Other measures are planned as well. The list of such measures was discussed by the Rector’s Council on June 15.