Discovering Science through Russian Language: HSE Prep Year Students Present at International Conference in Kazan
On May 23, 2026, the V International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Discovering the World of Science’ took place in Kazan at the Preparatory Faculty for International Students of Kazan Federal University. Four students of the HSE International Preparatory Year took part in the event: two delivered their presentations in person, while two participated online. Their work was supervised by Acting Director of the International Prep Year Irina Isaeva and lecturer Ekaterina Kozhemyakova.
The conference brought together students from preparatory departments, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes from different regions of Russia and abroad.
The programme included five sections: medicine; natural sciences and engineering; information and computer technologies; humanities; and interdisciplinary studies. In addition to the panel sessions, participants attended a lecture on the mysteries surrounding the birth of black holes.
HSE students delivered four engaging presentations in Russian. Although English had officially been announced as the conference’s second working language, all HSE participants demonstrated an excellent command of Russian—fluent, academic, and expressive.
The jury showed particular interest in the presentation by Evan David Eurs (USA), ‘How Children Learn New Words: A Comparison of American Sign Language and English.’ He discussed a scientific breakthrough made by researchers from Boston University and Purdue University in October 2025. For the first time, the researchers proved that a child’s sensory experience—sight, hearing, and touch—directly influences which first words they acquire.
The study showed that hearing children tend to learn words connected with sound earlier, such as ‘dog’ and ‘music,’ while deaf children learning sign language first acquire words associated with vision and touch, such as ‘red’ and ‘round.’
Evan also shared a personal example: his niece is a hearing child whose mother teaches her signs from American Sign Language, and this has only supported her speech development.
Evan David Eurs (USA)
‘I was presented with the opportunity to prepare a presentation and participate in a conference at Kazan Federal University, specifically for foreign students. As this was my first opportunity to participate in such a conference in Russia, as well as my first time officially presenting on a scientific topic in the Russian language, I was relatively nervous, yet excited. The conference turned out to be a huge success, and I am grateful that I was able to learn more about the countries of other foreign students, as well as the research going on in their home countries. I listened to presentations from students from Mali, Afghanistan, Lebanon, North Korea, and many more. The professors and staff at KFU were welcoming, kind, and the atmosphere of the conference was friendly and inviting. A member of the judging committee asked me a question following my presentation, as it pertained to her area of expertise and study (inclusive education), and I was pleased to see how scientific endeavours can unite people and spark conversation. Kazan is a beautiful city, and we were also able to visit several historic locations, go on a tour of architectural sites, and enjoy the river and lake waterfront. I have already recommended several friends to visit Kazan, if the given the chance, and would gladly revisit to spend more time in the city.’
Marta Passeri from Italy gave a presentation entitled ‘Rome’s “Archaeostations”: How Metro Construction Helped Preserve Ancient History.’ She spoke about Italy’s unique scientific and engineering achievement—the ‘archaeological top-down’ construction method—which made it possible to build a new metro line in the historic centre of Rome without damaging ancient archaeological layers.
Thanks to this method, genuine underground museums have emerged beneath the city: ‘archaeostations’ where visitors can see, behind glass panels, the ruins of first-century Roman houses, pottery, and thermal baths.
Marta noted that this experience could also be valuable for Russia, where unique artefacts are likewise discovered during metro construction projects in Moscow and Kazan.
Marta Passeri (Italy)
‘For me, it was important to show that Italy is not only about ancient history, but also about modern engineering solutions. Our metro construction method is studied all over the world, and I am delighted that international students in Kazan have now learned about it as well. I was very impressed by how attentively everyone listened and how many questions they asked. After the conference, we walked around Kazan—an incredible city, especially the Kremlin, Bauman Street, and the Black Lake Park. I was deeply impressed by the beauty of the city, and I would recommend everyone to visit it. The weather in May was wonderful: sunny and warm, which made speaking at the conference even more inspiring. I am very grateful that HSE gave me this opportunity: I met new people from all over the world and became more confident in myself.’
Student from Peru Manuel Renee Condor Huamani presented an online research project entitled ‘Preserving the Quechua Language in Peru: From Oral Tradition to Modern Education.’ He spoke about the unique CBPAR (Community-Based Participatory Action Research) approach, in which native speakers are not the subjects of research, but equal partners of scientists. Together, they create textbooks, record oral histories, and help restore children’s pride in their native language.
Manuel Renee Condor Huamani (Peru)
‘I was worried that the online format might make it difficult to convey emotions, but everything went well: the connection was stable, and people could hear and see me clearly. It was a valuable experience of public speaking. Although I was not physically present in Kazan, participating in the conference left me with very positive impressions, and now I would really like to visit the city.’
Zhu Jiafu (China) also participated online with her presentation ‘The Ethics of Interaction with AI in Education: China’s Scientific and Technological Achievement—The Smart Education of China Platform.’ She spoke about the world’s largest national educational platform, which brings together 178 million users from more than 200 countries. Zhu Jiafu explained in detail how China addresses the four main ethical challenges of AI in education: data protection, algorithmic bias, dishonest use, and unclear responsibility.
The central message of her presentation was that AI is not replacing teachers, but is becoming their assistant.
Zhu Jiafu (China)
‘It was important for me to speak about how China addresses ethical issues related to AI in education. The conference showed that AI is a topic of concern for everyone, regardless of country. I am also pleased that I was able to participate even while staying in Moscow.’
Both online presentations—by Manuel Renee Condor Huamani and Zhu Jiafu—were delivered in the conference’s non-competitive format, yet demonstrated a very high level of preparation.
Ekaterina Kozhemyakova, Visiting Lecturer, International Preparatory Year
‘The students prepared for the conference seriously and enthusiastically. Their lecturers helped them choose topics, edit the presentation texts, and rehearse their speeches, paying particular attention to stress patterns, intonation, and timing. They rehearsed several times in order to reduce the stress associated with public speaking.’
Following the conference, the organisers plan to publish an electronic collection of conference proceedings, which will later be made available in the Lobachevsky Electronic Scientific Library of Kazan Federal University. The best papers will also be published on the webpage of the Polimirie Student Research Club on the university’s official website. The presentations by HSE students successfully passed a rigorous selection process and will be included in the collection.
The HSE International Prep Year will continue to take an active part in inter-university and international conferences, helping international students not only deepen their academic knowledge and improve their Russian language skills, but also discover Russia for themselves—from Moscow to Kazan and beyond.
Ekaterina Kozhemyakova
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