How to reform the labour market is one of the most discussed issues in Russian society. Germany introduced major labour market reforms in the 2000s and is one of the few countries that has achieved significant results in doing so. The German experience is worth looking at, even though it may not be directly applicable to other countries. Here are some findings made by researcher Nina Vishnevskaya of the HSE Centre for Labour Studies

Most law students develop a negative perception of their own profession while at law school. Taking advantage of loopholes in the law, cheating on clients, and being mistrusted are just a few negative aspects of the legal profession which law students should be prepared to face. A study by Anton Kazun, researcher at the HSE International Centre for the Study of Institutions and Development

Socializing with A-grade classmates can improve students’ academic performance. However, students tend to socialise with A-graders only to get help, while they prefer to make friends with those whose academic performance is similar to their own. C-graders are often the most popular among students themselves. This article by Diliara Valeeva, Oleg Poldin, and Maria Yudkevich was first published in the HSE's Journal of Educational Studies

Many Russians volunteering to observe the elections are middle-class professionals. They volunteer because they want elections to be fair and doubt the validity of previous voting results, finds a study by Yulia Skokova, Junior Researcher at the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector

Elite motorists pose a mortal threat to the public; Russians are blowing their chances of building good public institutions; social media can bury politicians; reasons why our society is morally unstable and why expensive medical equipment is available but unused – these were the HSE's 13 most interesting and relevant research projects in 2013, according to Opec.ru.

Russia’s regional centres are growing and improving their demographics by attracting active young people from the provinces – which, in contrast, are ageing and experiencing depopulation. This subject is the focus of an article by Nikita Mkrtchyan and Lilia Karachurina, first published in the HSE's Demoscope Weekly

The ability to stay in control and make decisions in predictable situations is not enough for business leaders. They have to be able to act inambiguous conditions,and this forces modern business leaders to master new leadership strategies. Andrey Rossokhin spoke on leadership and the modern role of psychoanalysis in business at a conference ‘Psychoanalysis and Business’, organized by the HSE Faculty of Psychology Department of Psychoanalysis and Business Consulting

Concerned about discipline and uniformity, teachers at Russian universities tend to squeeze out students perceived as not fitting in with the academic culture, suggests a study by Ivan Gruzdev, Elena Gorbunova, and Isak Frumin

Interference in business by Siloviki is undermining steady economic growth. Things could improve if businesses are prepared to team up with organisations which represent the interests of other social groups. Andrei Yakovlev, Anton Sobolev and Anton Kazun at the HSE International Centre for the study of Institutions and Development have conducted research on the question “Can Russian business reduce political pressure from the state?”

As the economy improves and anti-corruption legislation develops, it’s highly likely that the market corruption will transform into a network one. Network corruption works through ties between officials and businesspeople, and the currency here is not money, but services. Maria Kravtsova studied various forms of corruption in her paper ‘A Friend in Court or a Penny in the Purse? Reasons for Market and Network Corruption’

Cultivating guilt, the use of bonuses and penalties, and psychological pressure on employees are not the best ways to improve a company’s efficiency. According to a HSE Laboratory of Positive Psychology study of work motivations, professionals will be most efficient if they have an intrinsic motivation to work, which is related not to earnings, but instead, to an interest in what they do

Opportunistic behaviour among Russian employees is often provoked by employers themselves. Delays in payment of salaries result in absences and a decrease in productivity. Andrey Kaplan studied these issues in his paper ‘Influence of Employee’s Individual Characteristics and Company’s Specifics on the Level of Absenteeism’