‘It Is a Great Honour for Us to Be Partners’
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In late March 2026, an official meeting took place between a delegation from HSE University and delegations from Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU); the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and the Embassy of Vietnam in the Russian Federation. The participants discussed key areas of cooperation that will help strengthen ties not only between the universities, but also between the two countries.
The meeting formalised the agreements previously reached between HSE University and VNU regarding joint projects and programmes.
Nguyen Hieu, Vice President of VNU, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet in person and discuss future plans for developing joint initiatives. He noted that HSE University is a leading institution in Russia, and that many universities around the world are eager to collaborate with it.
‘It is a great honour for us to be partners. Our cooperation, as well as HSE University’s initiatives in Hanoi, will contribute to strengthening collaboration not only between our two universities, but also between our countries,’ said Nguyen Hieu.
In response, Nikita Anisimov pointed out that HSE University currently offers more than 30 master’s programmes in English across a wide range of disciplines. The HSE rector emphasised that the university is ready to jointly develop programmes that will be of particular interest to Vietnamese students. ‘For example, I myself am a mathematician by training, and I am therefore certain that we can work together to train school mathematics teachers, as we know that Vietnamese school pupils traditionally perform strongly in olympiads in this field,’ the rector noted.
HSE University is one of the global leaders in computer science and artificial intelligence. ‘It is precisely in these areas, as well as in teaching Russian as a foreign language, that we can offer joint programmes to our Vietnamese partners,’ added Nikita Anisimov.
For his part, Nguyen Hieu explained that VNU, like HSE University, is a multidisciplinary institution, and that the range of academic fields it offers is very similar. He expressed confidence that this similarity would significantly facilitate the implementation of joint programmes.
‘Our country is currently entering a new stage of development, which is why we are paying particular attention to its strategic areas, including fundamental and technological sciences, as well as economics,’ the vice president noted. ‘In the field of fundamental sciences, we must be reliable partners both in training specialists and in conducting research,’ he added.
In addition, the Vietnamese colleagues proposed launching a joint master’s programme in artificial intelligence with HSE University, including in the field of telecommunications. VNU already offers a bachelor’s programme in this area, after which students could continue their studies in Russia. Nikita Anisimov supported the idea and also suggested discussing cooperation in the field of space research and technology in greater detail. This is one of the most promising areas of collaboration between Russia and Vietnam, and the new VNU campus in Hoa Lac, a suburb of Hanoi, could become an ideal platform for a joint space research cluster involving both VNU and HSE University.
Another possible format of cooperation between HSE University and VNU could be school exchange programmes. ‘Our university has its own lyceum in Moscow, where more than 2,000 pupils from across the country study. These are talented young people who go on to become leading professionals in various fields. Our pupils regularly undertake placements with our partners around the world, and we could establish a permanent school exchange programme between Russia and Vietnam,’ suggested Nikita Anisimov. Nguyen Hieu agreed that school exchange programmes represent a promising format of cooperation and stated that such an initiative could be extended to all three specialised schools affiliated with VNU.
Following the meeting, the parties exchanged commemorative gifts, and the VNU delegation visited HSE University’s campus on Pokrovsky Bulvar. In the near future, an HSE University delegation is expected to visit Vietnam National University in Hanoi.
The meeting was also attended by:
Le Tuan Anh, Director of the Cooperation and Development Department at Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU)
Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Russia
Bui Xuan Du, Director of the Government Office of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Chief of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat
Elena Odoevskaia, HSE Vice Rector
Kirill Kisel, HSE Director for Internationalisation
Andrian Vlakhov, Director of the International Partnerships Centre at the HSE International Cooperation Office
Olesya Trunova, interpreter and Senior Lecturer at the School of International Regional Studies, HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
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