Visiting Scholar

HSE University is pleased to announce an open call for inviting leading foreign experts to spend up to 1 year at the University and engage in teaching and/or research activities. The application period for visits in 2021 is closed.

Teaching activities may include designing and delivering academic courses, taking part in examinations and evaluating text assignments; presenting a lecture (series of lectures) and/or master classes; working as academic supervisors of students; participating in conferences and seminars as speakers and lecturers, etc.

Research activities may include working on research projects in tandem with HSE academic staff, as well as undergraduate and graduate students.

The All-University Committee accepts applications from:

• HSE subdivisions that are not a part of faculties/subdivisions and are not associated with faculties at the HSE in Moscow;
• HSE faculties with the total requested support over 150 000 RUB and on the condition that at least 30% of the total amount is co-funded (confirmation of co-funding should be attached to the application);
• HSE regional campuses.

Please keep in mind that applicants from HSE faculties, as well as subdivisions that are a part of or associated with faculties, shall apply to Faculty Research Committees. To know the terms and conditions for applications review by HSE Faculty Research Committees, please contact responsible faculty representatives. Applicants from HSE campuses can contact the following campus representatives to obtain information on the possibility of organizing a visit to campus.

Funding application steps:
1. Sign the application letter from HSE programme head;
2. Receive the signed agreement letter from a visiting scholar;
3. Compile a visit program;
4. Complete the Electronic Application for the HSE Visiting Scholar.

An application shall consist of:

 Application letter from HSE programme (Russian and English versions)

 Visiting Scholar Agreement

 Program HSE Visiting Scholar

CV

To apply for a seminar series, the following documents should be sent to visitingscholar@hse.ru. Please refer to the templates of the required documents below.

 Application letter from HSE programme (Russian and English versions)

 Specialists of seminar series                                            CV

These factors must be given due consideration

The following should be taken into account when drawing up cost estimates in the application to the All-University Committee.

• Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod or Perm must be the travel destination. Other itineraries, which do not include HSE campuses, shall not be approved;
• The cost of travel tickets may not exceed the approved budget. In case of any extra costs for booking a ticket for any particular flight (specific arrival/departure time, or airline), such costs in excess of the approved budget shall not be approved. Travel costs may be co-financed by the host department;
• Travel tickets must be booked through a ticket agency (not by HSE staff). Therefore, tickets available for a requested destination depend on the options offered by the agent. Applicants are also recommended to select a ticket agency and sign a service agreement no later than 6 weeks prior to a scheduled visit.

Remuneration

Remuneration is paid based on an independent contractor agreement. In order to enter into an agreement, foreign nationals must obtain a work visa.

30% or 13% personal income tax shall be charged on the total remuneration amount (30% for non-residents; 13% for residents);
27.1% or 22% must be included in the cost estimate for payment of social taxes and contributions (27.1% for Russian citizens, 22% - for non-Russian citizens). 

Please refer to the table below for sample calculations:

The most accurate way of calculating these sums is by following the Rule of Three. Please note that you cannot just add 30% (or 13%) to 27.1% (or 22%) since they are calculated from different amounts.

Accommodation costs shall be calculated on the basis of an economy-class room rate at a given hotel. No funding shall be allocated from the budget of the Visiting Scholar Programme for accommodation at HSE Guesthouses.

Please note that if a visit is planned during major events in Russia (FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, etc.) or shortly before and after such dates, additional costs may be pending owing to increased ticket and accommodation prices.

While applying for a visit of a specialist who was invited through last year’s Visiting Scholar call and whose objective was to work on a joint publication or project, the Unit should provide information on the status of this project. If a specialist is not invited through a new call, information about the status of his/her work should be forwarded to visitingscholar@hse.ru no later than a year after the proposed visit took place.

If the funding is approved, the host department shall be responsible for handling all practical arrangements of the visit in line with the recommendations set out on the website http://visitingscholar.hse.ru or provided by the relevant Faculty Research Committee.

Please send any questions and inquiries concerning the organization and administration of applications to the All-University Committee to visitingscholar@hse.ru. Contact Maria Dzhabieva (phone (495) 772-95-90 ext. 27678).