
‘The Peak of Stupidity’ and ‘The Valley of Despair’: HSE Economists Propose an Explanation for the Dunning–Kruger Effect
The Dunning–Kruger effect, which describes a sharp surge in self-confidence among beginners followed by an equally rapid decline as they gain experience, can be explained by the nature of the learning process and the acquisition of new knowledge. This conclusion was reached by Andrey Vorchik of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences together with independent researcher Murat Mamyshev. They developed a mathematical model of learning and demonstrated how subjective confidence is formed and changes as knowledge accumulates, as well as how teachers can reduce the ‘valley of despair’ experienced by learners.

Toffee and Risk: Scientists Discover Why People Who Crave Sweets Make More Impulsive Choices
Having a sweet tooth may be linked not only to eating habits but also to the way people make decisions. Researchers at HSE University have found that people with a preference for sweet foods tend to behave more impulsively—not because they want immediate rewards, but because they are less willing to tolerate uncertainty. These findings may help improve treatments for addiction. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Psychology.

Physicists Find a Way to Model Ion Parameters in Plasma in Seconds
Researchers from HSE University and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have developed a set of simple analytical methods for calculating the properties of heavy ions in helium under the influence of a strong electric field. The new approach speeds up calculations of ion mobility and ion–molecule reaction rates by thousands of times while maintaining sufficient accuracy for plasma jet modelling. The findings have been published in the journal Physica Scripta.

Two Years of Growth or Decline: How to Choose an Investment Strategy
Economists from HSE University, together with colleagues from international universities, have analysed stock market movements over almost a century and proposed an investment strategy that could have delivered returns nearly twice as high as the market average. Their research suggests following a momentum strategy during periods of sustained market growth and switching to a value strategy after prolonged market declines. The study has been published in the Journal of Banking and Finance.

Researchers Reveal Link Between Attention and Communication Difficulties in Autism
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.

Scientists Discover Why Some People Wore Masks During COVID-19 While Others Did Not
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.

Speed, Precision, and Self-Correction: HSE Faculty of Computer Science Researchers at ICML-2026
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.

‘The Conference Strengthened Our Sense of Belonging to the International Mathematics Community’
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.

What Hegel and Marx Can Teach Us About Today’s Housing Crisis
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.

Which Corporate Governance Mechanisms Actually Drive Decarbonisation?
Board members with dedicated expertise in decarbonisation and a company’s systematic engagement with stakeholders on climate-related issues are the most effective corporate governance mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.


Submission deadline: June 29, 2026