Tag "IQ"

Political preferences of at least 21% of Orthodox voters in Russia may be influenced by the clergy and their fellow believers. Based on an online survey of 2,735 respondents, HSE University sociologists Kirill Sorvin and Maksim Bogachev concluded that religion has a considerable impact on people’s political choices. The scholars assume that the share of those who vote ‘in an Orthodox way’ may be higher: many respondents were under 34, and young people are a minority among Orthodox believers in Russia.

HSE University economists analyzed what banks performed best on the Russian market from 2004 to 2015 - state, private, or foreign-owned ones. They found out that during stable economic and political periods, foreign-owned banks tend to take the lead, while during a crisis period, such as from 2008 to 2013, state-owned banks outperformed them. The article was published in the  Emerging Markets Finance and Trade journal.

Over half of inventions patented in Russia over the last decade have been created only in 11 cities. A study by HSE ISSEK experts calls these tech hubs ‘technograds’. Here is what they are and what they do.

Cyberbullying is a fact of life for many teens today. Psychologists have found that with age, people become inured to acts of aggression. However, cyber harassment is one of the most dangerous forms of bullying. Cyberbullying victims have nowhere to hide, while their parents often have no idea that something bad is happening to their kids, since the bullying occurs in adolescent online communities. Researchers studied cyberbullying among teenagers.

Whether it’s a magnet, a bookmark, or a postcard with a picture of a beloved artist – any kind of souvenir influences a museum’s image in the eyes of visitors and is considered to be an important marketing tool. Souvenirs, which tourists bring home as keepsakes of their travels, play an even bigger role in shaping the brand of a city as whole.

The greatest fear of young women living in big cities is that of sexual violence. It is not necessarily based on the actual crime rate in the city but often instilled by family and society. As a result, women tend to carefully pre-plan their behaviour and movements in 'suspicious' places based on safety concerns. HSE researchers interviewed a group of young women about certain aspects of their fears and strategies they use to deal with it.

Experts have noticed declining Chinese cooperation with Western partners in higher education. Students from the world’s leading exporter of students now have a preference for their national universities. But many Western universities depend on the inflow of Chinese students, and a decrease in numbers may slow their development. In a recent paper, Philip G. Altbach offered his reflections on U.S. universities’ ‘Chinese crisis.’

Couples with three or more children often feel that others judge or refuse to understand them. Their decision to have many children seems to annoy their extended family, neighbours, colleagues, health professionals and government bureaucrats. Very often, other large families are the only one who offer them support. Based on findings from in-depth interviews, HSE researchers describe the effect that social interactions can have on fertility.

Little is known to science about the origins of dementia, except in cases stemming from such external causes as traumatic brain injuries and infections. At present, the dominant theory points to a link with Alzheimer’s — itself a disease whose causes have not been explained and that lacks reliable diagnostic criteria. Professor Vasily Vlasov of the Health Care Administration and Economics Department of the Social Sciences Faculty at HSE University explains what science currently knows about dementia.

In 2013, Russia banned smoking in public places such as cafes, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as on trains, in playgrounds, etc. Statistical analysis has revealed, however, that 26% of male and 28% of female smokers do not always comply with these smoking bans. A full report from a study by Ludmila Zasimova, Assistant Professor at the HSE Department of Applied Economics, has been published in the International Journal of Public Health.