Research & Expertise news at HSE University

In the run-up to Youth Day, IQ.HSE studied the results of an all-Russian survey by the Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector. Sociologists studied the role of young people in charity and volunteering. What do they sacrifice for the sake of their neighbours — and are they prepared to do it in general? For those who think that young people have their heads in the clouds, the answers will be unexpected.

Whether researching how the human brain works, identifying the source of COVID-19, running complex calculations or testing scientific hypotheses, supercomputers can help us solve the most complex tasks. One of the most powerful supercomputers in the CIS is cHARISMa, which is now in its third year of operation at HSE University. Pavel Kostenetskiy, Head of the HSE University Supercomputer Modeling Unit, talks about how the supercomputer works and what kind of projects it works on.

Mathematicians from HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod have developed a new way to predict the preferences of mobile device users. The method, which is 2–12% more accurate than known analogues, is based on simultaneous recognition of objects, faces and scenes in a smartphone’s photo gallery and on a remote server. The algorithm can be used to personalise services and offer recommendations tailored to a particular person. The article was published in the Pattern Recognition journal.

Rational architecture, a focus on functionality, and a cutback on ornamentation—these factors made the Electroperedacha power station an important early-20^th-century achievement in the development of architecture, urban development, and the power industry. The architect of the building turned out to be Hermann Muthesius, a renowned German public figure and one of the founders of the Deutscher Werkbund. The authorship of the building was determined by a researcher from HSE University using original blueprints from the archive of the Mosenergo power supply company. The results of the study were published in Articult.

The fifth season of HSE Science Battles is currently underway, with the Sber office serving as a venue for another stage of the battle. Four speakers fought for a place in the finals by presenting their research in a ‘TED Talks’ format. The HSE News Service reports on highlights from the event, including how to explain to your grandmother that GMOs aren’t dangerous, what font you should use to develop your memory, and who ‘hate-watchers’ are.

Youth as a driver of economic development, the Arctic as a region of constructive cooperation, and innovation as a way to dispel illusions. Experts from HSE University took part in sessions of the 2022 St Petersburg International Economic Forum and HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov answered questions in the interactive studio of the Knowledge Society.

Researchers from HSE University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology compared the performance of eSport gamers of different weight categories. Despite the fact that this study looks at computer games, it touches on the broader issue of including obese individuals in modern work activities that are often associated with computer technology.

Researchers from the HSE University Institute of Education have studied data on the work schedule of teachers in an online English-language school and have shown that women aged 25–35 work less than men. This is connected to lower workloads in the evenings. The article ‘Women in gig economy work less in the evenings’ has been published in Scientific Reports.