HSE University Holds HSE CS × BRICS Ideathon
On November 9, 2025, the HSE CS × BRICS Ideathon—a large-scale intensive event for students aimed at developing international project skills and finding solutions to current challenges facing BRICS countries—took place at HSE University’s Pokrovsky Bulvar campus. The event was organised by the Multilateral Strategic Projects Office with the support of the BRICS Expert Council–Russia, the Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), and the HSE FCS Hackathon Club.
This year, 105 participants joined the ideathon, forming 23 teams. In the morning, students took part in a draw and a short introductory session on BRICS philosophy. After a warm-up, the master classes began. Alexander Popovkin, Head of the HSE FCS Hackathon Club, held a session on idea generation and the rules of effective brainstorming, while experts from the HSE Corporate Academy introduced students to the basics of project thinking.
Once the teams received their topics, the most intensive stage began—project work. Over the course of four hours, participants worked with mentors to develop solutions in a wide range of areas, from digital platforms to sustainable development. Among the proposed initiatives were domestic operating systems and application ecosystems, national messaging apps, BRICS smart cities, ESG financing tools, waste management projects, and projects on food security and the development of the creative freelance economy.
The final stage was a pitch session: teams presented their ideas to an expert jury, answered questions, and received feedback. Following the project defences, first place went to the team MIM, second to VAGRs, and third to The Quadrangle of Progress. The audience award was given to the team Ideynyi Intellekt.
The event concluded with a formal awards ceremony and a pizza party, where participants continued discussing their projects in an informal setting and shared their impressions.
‘I was glad to take part in this project. The format was new to me, so I was a bit nervous. However, everything went brilliantly! The organisation was top-notch, every detail was well thought out, and the tasks were interesting. Thank you once again to HSE University, all the organisers, and the jury,’ said Milena Avetisyan, a first-year master’s student on the Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication programme.
‘Thank you for the fantastic organisation of the ideathon! The timetable was comfortable, the atmosphere was positive, everything was convenient and clear—and, most importantly, the task itself was genuinely interesting. There were great people and a wonderful mood both during and after the event. It was fascinating not only to come up with our own solution but also to listen to others. We are delighted to be taking part for the second year and are already looking forward to the next one!’ noted Yana Fitkovskaya, a second-year student at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at Moscow State University.
‘This year the event brought together more than 100 people from various universities and cities. Competition was very strong, and a great deal of work was done. Of course, the efforts of the organising committee deserve special mention. They supported us throughout the whole event, offered valuable comments, and encouraged us. We really enjoyed everything! But most importantly, we gained excellent experience in solving tasks related to BRICS. This is important for all students interested in the activities of the association,’ said Abdalla Muhammad Zain Abdalgadir, a second-year master’s student on HSE’s International Relations: European and Asian Studies programme.
The HSE CS × BRICS Ideathon once again proved that creativity, knowledge, and teamwork can form the basis for new initiatives that strengthen cooperation among BRICS countries and make the world more open, resilient, and fair.
Mentoring and expert support for participants was provided by:
Zori Gumashyan, Head of Project Management at Mossportrazvitiye, Moscow Government.
Sergey Tkachenko, expert of the FCS Hackathon Club.
Tatyana Sushchenko, Core Value Product at Rusprofile, former VK and former Microsoft specialist, and a speaker at leading product conferences.
Anastasia Danilova and Irina Belenkaya, representatives of the HSE University Centre for Career Management and Corporate Culture.
Daniil Kostalevsky, expert of the FCS Hackathon Club.
Ksenia Fedosina, expert of the FCS Hackathon Club.
Maxim Pavlishin, Project Manager at Fraud Radar LLC.
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