Types of Strategic Academic Units

The mega-faculties and research units (including international laboratories) are used to establish large areas of expertise with interdisciplinary connections: Strategic Academic Units. There are two types of Strategic Academic Units – international consortia and centers of excellence, which are currently being formed based on the following criteria:

1. Research must be consistent with the global research agenda and international research networks;
2. Research must be relevant to Russia’s geopolitical interests and/or sectoral priorities;
3. Strategic Academic Units must serve as expert analytical centers for the development of public policy in the economic and social sectors, education, science and technology forecasting and state-building; each Strategic Academic Unit should make a significant contribution to the development of Russian economy;
4. Educational programmes are implemented at various levels (undergraduate, specialist, graduate and post-graduate programs).

The first type of Strategic Academic Units includes major consortia that address the university’s existing core areas.  They are recognized internationally (reflected in their international rankings), and have a high capacity for further dynamic development. These consortia are formed from one or more mega-faculties and academic units of the university, which implement educational programs at all levels and their research has been integrated or is capable of being integrated into the global research agenda:

• Economics and Management (QS Economics & Econometrics – 151-200, QS Development Studies – 51-100, QS Social Science & Management – 161[1]);
• Challenges for Social Development (QS Development Studies – 51-100; QS Sociology – 151-200; QS Social Sciences & Management – 161);
• Mathematics, Computer Science and Information Technology: scalable mathematical methods (QS Mathematics и QS Computer Science & Information Systems – 400+, ranks 6th in Russia);
• Humanities Consortium 'Humanus' (QS Philosophy – 151-200, QS Arts & Humanities – 289).

The second type of Strategic Academic Units includes centers of excellence: individual structural units that have been created as new growth points in relatively narrow and promising interdisciplinary areas of research and education and are integrated into the global research agenda and implement Master’s and doctoral educational programs. In the long run, these units are capable of growing into new research and educational areas:

• Foresight and Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (QS Development Studies – 51-100; QS Social Sciences & Management – 161);
• Cognitive Neuroscience: from Computational Models to Neurotechnology (QS Economics & Econometrics – 151-200; QS Social Science & Management – 161);
• Education and Human Development in Changing World (QS Sociology – 151-200; QS Social Science & Management – 161);
• Urban and Transportation Policy: Guiding Urban Transformation from Industrial to Digital Age (QS Development Studies – 51-100; QS Social Sciences & Management – 161).

         Not included in STRA-Us are key HSE faculties such as World Economy and International Affairs, Law, and Communications, Media and Design, as well as the Department of Foreign Languages, because these units are currently focused mainly on the Russian market.

[1] HSE position in QS World University Rankings 2015 (by subject and by industry) are given in brackets. This position has been secured thanks to the contribution of the respective Strategic Academic Unit.