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Researchers at HSE University have examined how communication difficulties in children with autism are related to brain function. The findings show that not only language networks but also attention networks play an important role. The weaker the connections involved in maintaining focus and switching attention, the more pronounced communication difficulties were. The study has been published in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Beyond technological solutions, the development of anthropomorphic robotics also demands ethical ones. In July 2026, the HSE Institute for Robotics Systems hosted a foresight session dedicated to developing an Ethical Standard for Anthropomorphic Robotic Complexes. Representatives from businesses, government bodies, scientific organisations, and universities gathered to discuss key ethical and legal issues surrounding the development of anthropomorphic robotic complexes. The main outcome of the meeting was a draft of the Ethical Standard.

At the beginning of July 2026, students from the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs took part in the Summer School on International Relations organised by Fudan University (China), one of the leading international educational programmes in this field. Over the course of two weeks, they explored contemporary approaches to global governance and the development of the Global South, attended lectures by renowned scholars from around the world, and discussed current international issues with fellow students from across the globe.

Why do some people voluntarily follow new rules while others ignore them? Researchers at HSE University have found that the answer lies not so much in people's willingness to cooperate, as previously believed, but in their ability to empathise with others. Empathy proved to be the strongest predictor of whether people chose to wear face masks voluntarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings have been published in Frontiers.

Researchers from the HSE Faculty of Computer Science (FCS) presented their work at theInternational Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2026) in Seoul, South Korea, one of the leading scientific events in the field. Several projects by the faculty’s researchers received the prestigious Spotlight distinction.

From July 13 to 17, 2026, the HSE Faculty of Mathematics hosted the international conference ‘Moduli, Dynamics, and Integrability,’ bringing together leading mathematicians from Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and other countries.

Researchers from HSE University examined how the housing crisis in European countries is affecting young people’s perceptions of home ownership, freedom, and the future. As access to home ownership becomes more difficult, young people increasingly seek opportunities for self-realisation and recognition in digital environments, including game worlds and metaverses. The article has been published in Philosophies.

Physicist Nina Dzhanayeva, recipient of a Vladimir Potanin Foundation scholarship, focuses her research on nanophotonics. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses nanowells, scientific intuition, and how physics can help in making frangipane cream puffs.