Researchers Examine Student Care Culture in Small Russian Universities
Researchers from the HSE Institute of Education conducted a sociological study at four small, non-selective universities and revealed, based on 135 interviews, the dual nature of student care at such institutions: a combination of genuine support with continuous supervision, reminiscent of parental care. This study offers the first in-depth look at how formal and informal student care practices are intertwined in the post-Soviet educational context. The study has been published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education.
In recent decades, universities have come to be viewed not only as places for learning and professional training, but also as environments that provide emotional support. In some countries, this shift is described as the therapeutic turn, as alongside academic objectives, universities begin to prioritise students’ psychological well-being. However, in certain cases, supportive care is accompanied by excessive supervision and restrictions on students’ autonomy.
Small non-selective universities in Russia, especially in the periphery, have received little attention in this context. Many of them evolved from former teacher training institutes and continue to play a key role in meeting the educational needs of entire regions. By non-selective universities, the researchers refer to institutions where the average Unified State Exam (USE) admission score is below 70. In the universities examined in this study, it ranges from 60.28 to 66.8. These institutions have lower USE entry requirements than major research universities and enrol many first-generation students. Despite the important social role of such universities, little is known about their internal culture and the daily lives of students. The authors of this study aimed to fill this gap by closely examining how students are cared for in these universities.
Conducted between 2022 and 2024, the research focused on four public universities located in the Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Kamchatka Krai, and Ivanovo Oblast. These institutions enrol between 799 and 2,334 full-time students, with a student–faculty ratio of 10:1 to 16:1, lower than that of major universities.
The researchers observed university life and conducted 135 semi-structured interviews with students, faculty, and administrators, including department heads, deans, and vicerectors. The interviews addressed a broad range of topics, from the educational process and participation in extracurricular activities to personal future plans. Questions about care and support were not asked directly; instead, these themes emerged as participants described the campus atmosphere and their everyday relationships. The researchers observed frequent use of expressions such as children, second family, and like at home, which helped identify the key characteristics of the university culture.
The results revealed a pervasive duality of student care practiced at the universities studied. On one hand, faculty members focus on creating a warm and friendly atmosphere: they know their students by name, take an interest in their lives, and are willing to assist with both academic and personal matters. On the other hand, in the absence of dedicated student support services, faculty members often take on mentoring roles: they explain institutional rules, help resolve conflicts, and support students in difficult situations.
Care and support often take the form of continuous monitoring. The 'grown-ups' track attendance, oversee dormitory behaviour, contact parents, or hold 'parent–teacher conferences.' Even students who are legally adults are treated as 'children' in need of guidance. Notably, all faculty members involved provide this care without additional compensation, which may be influenced by gendered traditions in the teaching profession, as most faculty at the universities studied are women.
In interviews, students often liken the university to their family and faculty members to their parents or 'second mums.' While this can foster trust, it also reinforces a model in which students do not fully transition to independence, continuing instead to live in a system of control reminiscent of secondary school.
Tatiana Akuneeva
'We have shown that in small, non-selective universities, caring for students involves both support and control. These forms are not contradictory but together create a stable system of relationships that largely holds the university community together,' summarises Tatiana Akuneeva, Research Assistant at the Laboratory for University Development of the HSE Institute of Education (IOE).
Ksenia Romanenko
'These universities combine trusting, emotionally warm relationships between students and faculty with elements of strict supervision, including behaviour monitoring and parental involvement. While this model can promote cohesion and stability within the university community, it also reinforces student dependence and extends a school-like experience,' notes Ksenia Romanenko, Expert at the IOE Laboratory for University Development.
See also:
Similar Comprehension, Different Reading: How Native Language Affects Reading in English as a Second Language
Researchers from the MECO international project, including experts from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain, have developed a tool for analysing data on English text reading by native speakers of more than 19 languages. In a large-scale experiment involving over 1,200 people, researchers recorded participants’ eye movements as they silently read the same English texts and then assessed their level of comprehension. The results showed that even when comprehension levels were the same, the reading process—such as gaze fixations, rereading, and word skipping—varied depending on the reader's native language and their English proficiency. The study has been published in Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
Mortgage and Demography: HSE Scientists Reveal How Mortgage Debt Shapes Family Priorities
Having a mortgage increases the likelihood that a Russian family will plan to have a child within the next three years by 39 percentage points. This is the conclusion of a study by Prof. Elena Vakulenko and doctoral student Rufina Evgrafova from the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. The authors emphasise that this effect is most pronounced among women, people under 36, and those without children. The study findings have been published in Voprosy Ekonomiki.
Scientists Discover How Correlated Disorder Boosts Superconductivity
Superconductivity is a unique state of matter in which electric current flows without any energy loss. In materials with defects, it typically emerges at very low temperatures and develops in several stages. An international team of scientists, including physicists from HSE MIEM, has demonstrated that when defects within a material are arranged in a specific pattern rather than randomly, superconductivity can occur at a higher temperature and extend throughout the entire material. This discovery could help develop superconductors that operate without the need for extreme cooling. The study has been published in Physical Review B.
Scientists Develop New Method to Detect Motor Disorders Using 3D Objects
Researchers at HSE University have developed a new methodological approach to studying motor planning and execution. By using 3D-printed objects and an infrared tracking system, they demonstrated that the brain initiates the planning process even before movement begins. This approach may eventually aid in the assessment and treatment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. The paper has been published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Civic Identity Helps Russians Maintain Mental Health During Sanctions
Researchers at HSE University have found that identifying with one’s country can support psychological coping during difficult times, particularly when individuals reframe the situation or draw on spiritual and cultural values. Reframing in particular can help alleviate symptoms of depression. The study has been published in Journal of Community Psychology.
Scientists Clarify How the Brain Memorises and Recalls Information
An international team, including scientists from HSE University, has demonstrated for the first time that the anterior and posterior portions of the human hippocampus have distinct roles in associative memory. Using stereo-EEG recordings, the researchers found that the rostral (anterior) portion of the human hippocampus is activated during encoding and object recognition, while the caudal (posterior) portion is involved in associative recall, restoring connections between the object and its context. These findings contribute to our understanding of the structure of human memory and may inform clinical practice. A paper with the study findings has been published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
AI Can Predict Student Academic Performance Based on Social Media Subscriptions
A team of Russian researchers, including scientists from HSE University, used AI to analyse 4,500 students’ subscriptions to VK social media communities. The study found that algorithms can accurately identify both high-performing students and those struggling with their studies. The paper has been published in IEEE Access.
HSE Scientists: Social Cues in News Interfaces Build Online Trust
Researchers from the HSE Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users have discovered how social cues in the design of news websites—such as reader comments, the number of reposts, or the author’s name—can help build user trust. An experiment with 137 volunteers showed that such interface elements make a website appear more trustworthy and persuasive to users, with the strongest cue being links to the media’s social networks. The study's findings have been published in Human-Computer Interaction.
Immune System Error: How Antibodies in Multiple Sclerosis Mistake Their Targets
Researchers at HSE University and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS) have studied how the immune system functions in multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease in which the body's own antibodies attack its nerve fibres. By comparing blood samples from MS patients and healthy individuals, scientists have discovered that the immune system in MS patients can mistake viral proteins for those of nerve cells. Several key proteins have also been identified that could serve as new biomarkers for the disease and aid in its diagnosis. The study has been published in Frontiers in Immunology. The research was conducted with support from the Russian Science Foundation.
Scientists Develop Effective Microlasers as Small as a Speck of Dust
Researchers at HSE University–St Petersburg have discovered a way to create effective microlasers with diameters as small as 5 to 8 micrometres. They operate at room temperature, require no cooling, and can be integrated into microchips. The scientists relied on the whispering gallery effect to trap light and used buffer layers to reduce energy leakage and stress. This approach holds promise for integrating lasers into microchips, sensors, and quantum technologies. The study has been published in Technical Physics Letters.