HSE University Expands Middle-Eastern Partnerships
An HSE University delegation took a working trip to the United Arab Emirates, where it participated in the Third Forum of the Federation of Rectors of Russian and Arab Universities and finalised cooperation agreements with UAE University.
Under the agreements, the HSE University International College of Economics and Finance and the UAE University College of Business and Economics will cooperate in a wide range of areas. The universities plan to launch joint student exchange programmes, begin work on joint educational programmes (including double-degree programmes), and conduct joint research.
Representatives of more than 50 Russian and 150 Arab universities took part in the forum. The HSE University delegation included Anna Kuznetsova, Adviser to the Vice Rector, and Sergey Yakovlev, Director of the International College of Economics and Finance.
HSE University has signed cooperation agreements with leading universities in the UAE, including the University of Sharjah and Al Ain University. The HSE University delegation also visited Ajman University for a working meeting and negotiations with the university’s leadership. Representatives of the two universities confirmed their mutual commitment to developing cooperation, noting the need to expand the level of cooperation to a university-wide one encompassing everything from academic mobility to joint research projects.
The HSE University delegation also held a meeting with representatives of universities in Oman, Egypt, Iraq and Yemen. It is expected that representatives of middle-eastern universities will take part in HSE University’s International Partners’ Week in autumn 2023.
HSE University Vice Rector Victoria Panova noted that the negotiations gave a fresh impetus and presented new areas of cooperation with the university’s partners. ‘The Middle East is a promising area of cooperation for HSE University, due to both plans to improve the quality of educational programmes in Arab countries and the growing interest among our students to learn more about the region’s cultures and languages. We are taking our cooperation from a fragmented level characterised by joint projects to a systematic one. I am confident that this will allow us to achieve breakthrough results in both research and educational activities,’ she said.
The Federation of Russian and Arab Universities was founded in 2018. Its purpose is to strengthen scientific and educational ties between universities in Russia and in Arab countries and to aid in the development of student exchanges, academic mobility for lecturers, and cooperation between scientists. At present, 70 Russian and Arab universities are members of the federation.