
‘What Matters Is Not What You Study, but Who You Study with’
Katerina Koloskova began studying Arabic expecting to give it up after a year—now she cannot imagine her life without it. In an interview for the Young Scientists of HSE University project, she spoke about two translated books, an expedition to Socotra, and her love for Bethlehem.

'I Dream of Becoming Part of the International Semantics Community'
As a student, Stepan Mikhailov took part in an expedition to the Urals and became so deeply engaged that he eventually wrote his dissertation on a related topic—possessive constructions in the Khanty language. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, he talks about bridging syntax and semantics, the importance of making time to cook and eat breakfast in the morning, and his favourite place in the village of Kazym.

'Sometimes, Finding Ways to Solve Problems Feels Like Trying to Cross Mountains without a Map'
Yulia Zaitseva became interested in mathematics in third grade, when her parents enrolled her in a math club, and she now holds a PhD. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she explains what an algebraic variety is, discusses operations beyond addition and multiplication, and shares her love for Kolomenskoye Park.

'Science Combines Work, Social Connection, and a Spirit of Adventure'
Marina Sheshukova chose research in mathematical statistics and probability theory over a career in music. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses Markov chains, multi-armed bandits, and her dog named after the mathematician Camille Jordan.

'As a Child, I Dreamed of Becoming a Detective'
Yadviga Sinyavskaya studies communication technologies, particularly social media. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses testing the social brain theory on real-world data, the merits of Gogol’s Dead Souls, and ways to prevent burnout.

'When I Do My Work Well, It Benefits People with Mental Disabilities and Their Families'
After exploring several research fields, Maxim Gurin realised that he wanted to study sociology while specifically focusing on how his research could benefit the people at the centre of it. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he shares his passion for hip-hop dancing, the magical appeal of the courtyard at the House on the Embankment, and his quest to uncover the memories of the Chelyuskinitsy during a trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

'At the Intersection of Mathematics, Biology, and Machine Learning, I Found My Place'
Aleksei Shmelev conducts research in genomics and uses machine learning to explore the history of human populations. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he discusses the adaptive introgression of Tibetans and Denisovans and the use of IBD graphs to predict human population membership.

'Even among Geniuses, Luck Plays a Role in Winning a Nobel Prize'
Denis Bodrov studies particle physics and works at one of the four electron–positron colliders in the world. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he talks about his efforts to go beyond the Standard Model, discusses tau leptons, and shares his affection for Moscow.

‘My Goal Is to Shed Light on How Deaf Children Develop in Russia’
Having completed her PhD in the UK, Valeria Vinogradova dreams of applying her knowledge and experience to create an interdisciplinary centre for deafness studies in Russia. In an interview for the Young Scientists of HSE University project, she spoke about Russian Sign Language, her love of modern jazz, and much more.

‘A Cat That Jumps from the Floor to a Shelf Doesn't Know Newton's Laws’
Anastasia Malashina defended her thesis on a topic related to cryptographic methods of information protection and is now engaged in applied projects in strategic analytics. In an interview with the Young Scientists of HSE University project, she discussed the difficulties she faced during her studies and explained what cryptography is and why large language models will not replace human intelligence.

