Research & Expertise news at HSE University

Within the framework of the IX International Conference on Applied Research in Economics (iCare), topical issues of behavioral economics, finance, banking, labor and education economics, and environmental economics were discussed. The conference was held online and brought together researchers from Russia, India, USA, Germany and other countries. We summarize and publish the recordings of the reports.

Researchers from HSE University, RAS, and Skoltech have compared actual specific energy consumption in the production of diamonds using traditional (mining) and innovative (synthesis) methods. Depending on the technology, 36 to 215 kWh of energy is consumed to produce a 1 carat diamond. It turned out that not all diamond synthesis technologies surpass extraction methods in terms of energy efficiency. The results of the study were published in the journal Energies.

At the start of the pandemic, countries over the world struggled to provide a high-quality combination of online and in-person education. What’s more, low-income families have had fewer opportunities to arrange education for their children. These issues were the topic of the open seminar on ‘International Experience: Lessons for Schools After the Stress of the Pandemic’ hosted by the HSE University Institute of Education.

Last year, the Institute for Law in the Digital Environment was founded as part of HSE University. Ruslan Ibragimov, HSE Director for Legal Research, spoke to the HSE News Service about the research carried out by the new institute, some of the outcomes of its work, plans for the future, and the legal challenges surrounding the use of artificial intelligence.

The report was prepared by a group from the HSE University Centre for African Studies and the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs. The authors highlight that Russia is invested in the future development of the continent and is open to dialogue with all African nations. The report names the most economically promising fields to be energy, digital technologies, and agriculture.

The majority of Russians would not agree to being fitted with microchip implants for any purposes—medical or otherwise. A joint study conducted by HSE University’s International Laboratory for Applied Network Research and Aventica found that respondents believe the risks of personal data leaks and misuse to be too high.

Researchers from HSE University, Saint Petersburg State University, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI), and Kostroma State University have analyzed data on internet addiction and ‘phubbing’ behaviour from the past decade. They found that more and more people are suffering from smartphone addiction. At the same time, situations in which communication is split into real and virtual formats are becoming part of everyday life, which is bad for our relationships. Although phubbing was found to be the new normal among young people, the respondents often feel like victims of phubbing and its negative consequences. The results are published in Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes.

The 10th International Moscow Finance Conference, organized by HSE ICEF, took place on October 29–30 online. Vladimir Sokolov, Head of the International Laboratory of Financial Economics, which hosted the conference, talks about the participants, the key presentation topics and how they will impact the global economy.