The HSE-NES BA program is one of the most selective undergraduate programs in Russia and most students in the program were top test scores and award winners at their secondary schools. Therefore, the HSE-NES BA program brings together some of the best minds in Russia. Our students are exceptionally talented and determined to pursue degrees in economics. Since 2011, two-thirds of the winners of the All-Russia High School Competition in Economics – who were, by law, guaranteed admission to any undergraduate program in economics in Russia – have chosen the HSE-NES BA program. Thus, we provide an unrivaled opportunity to network and make friends with the future intellectual leaders of Russia. The HSE-NES BA program provides an individual and flexible approach to each and every student through small class sizes and frequent interactions between students and faculty including advising, tutoring, and supervising students’ independent research. Our faculty are focused not only on students’ learning, but also on the development of their personal and social skills.
Especially important are critical thinking and communication skills. The HSE-NES BA program has the same liberal arts orientation as the leading American and European universities. The program offers a wide range of courses in economics, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. While the economics curriculum covers the more universal questions of economics, it also includes courses in social sciences and humanities that address the subfields of transition economics, economic and cultural history of Eastern Europe, political studies of post-Soviet regimes, and Russian history and literature. In addition, the faculty includes established experts in these disciplines. About 20% of alumni is accepted to graduate programs at top Western universities.