Research & Expertise

From February 24 to 26, 2025, HSE University held its first training seminar in Iran, titled ‘BRICS: Structure and Cooperation Platforms Workshop.’ The seminar focused on cooperation between BRICS countries and the key mechanisms of the organisation. It was organised at the request of the Iranian side by the BRICS Expert Council – Russia, based at HSE, and the Centre for Progress and Development of Iran Presidency (CPDI), in partnership with Iran's largest technology park, Pardis Technology Park, as well as Shahid Beheshti University, the Iran National Innovation Fund (INIF), and the Iranian International Innovation District (IIID).

On February 24, the Durasov House, a part of HSE University’s Pokrovka Campus, became the setting for a meeting of the Russian Chapter of the Women Twenty (W20) Working Group. Focused on education, the digital divide, and artificial intelligence (AI), the event brought together prominent experts, including Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council – Russia and Vice Rector at HSE University, alongside Evgeniy Terentev, Oksana Sinyavskaya, Maya Mlyakova, Fuad Aleskerov, Olga Savinskaya, and Sergey Kosaretsky. Together, the participants explored strategies to advance Russia’s scientific, educational, and technological initiatives on the global stage.

The International Education Observatory initiative, launched by HSE University to focus on expert evaluation, analytics, and joint scientific research, has successfully completed the formation of a research network across all BRICS nations. South Africa was the final link, with the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand joining experts from Russia, China, India, and Brazil. 

In September, the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge hosted an international working meeting with representatives from Brazilian, Egyptian, and Indian think tanks. The participants discussed opportunities for cooperation, including joint surveys, comparative studies, databases, and publications on foresight, technology, and innovation. It was also decided to draft a multilateral agreement to establish the BRICS Foresight Association.

HSE University International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre and the Competition Policy and Assessment Centre founded by the State Administration for Market Regulation of China signed a cooperation agreement. The parties agreed to come up with proposals for the development of exchange trade in goods and raw materials between Russia, China, and the BRICS countries.

HSE University Vice Rector Victoria Panova spoke at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF 2024) that began in Vladivostok. The topic of her speech was the expansion of BRICS.

The HSE Faculty of Law hosted an online meeting with law schools and expert centres from BRICS countries. The purpose of the event was to join efforts to advance legal science and practice for the benefit of the organization. To this end, at the initiative of the Dean of the Faculty of Law Vadim Vinogradov, a Consortium of BRICS Law Schools was established, comprising representatives of leading higher education institutions from a number of countries.

On July 3–4, 2024, the IX BRICS Civil Forum was held in Moscow for the first time since the association was expanded by five new countries in January 2024. Participants emphasised the importance of personal interaction between public figures, civil activists, as well as the work they do to strengthen and enrich friendly relations between BRICS countries, based on mutual respect. The forum was organised by the BRICS Expert Council–Russia, which is established at the HSE University.