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Regular version of the site

Dean's Address: HSE, Math Faculty, and I

My first encounter with the Faculty of Mathematics at the HSE was at the end of 2012 when I visited Vladlen Timorin to talk about my thesis, and he agreed to be on my jury.

That conversation turned out to be interesting and informative, but I was even more impressed by the Faculty, its exotic location in the Professors Hotel, by the professors and students who were keen, curious and oblivious to stereotypes and rules of subordination, by its atmosphere in which all felt first and foremost like collaborators on a fascinating journey, and by its lively and modern mathematics.

When after a couple of years in Paris, I decided to come back home, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to work here teaching bright, intelligent students in a way that might encourage their active feedback, engage with my colleagues, many of whom have followed similar paths to my own, and feel that I am in the epicentre of Moscow's mathematical world, maintaining academic contacts with foreign colleagues and friends.

I have been with the Faculty for seven years since then, and over these years I and the Faculty have changed and grown a lot.

The Faculty has expanded. We have new educational programs and partners, we have moved to a different building, and we have noticeably diversified the range of problems that our academics and students work on.

My position now allows for a wider vision too. In October 2020, the Rector entrusted me with the duties of Dean, responding to the recommendation of the Faculty's Academic Council.

My mission is challenging indeed, but it is also fascinating. Under the leadership of my predecessors the Faculty progressed substantially and has rightly gained a reputation as one of the strongest in Russia. It has put itself on the map of the world’s mathematics. Even maintaining this position is a goal of its own, but I see that the true potential of our Faculty is yet to be revealed.

We have wonderful students, and I would like them not only to excel in a lot of complex mathematics within their curricula but also to discern their interests and capabilities. This extends far beyond abstract science, including the abilities to choose appropriate problems, identify the necessary skills and apply those skills to work out solutions.

Most importantly we need to keep the charm and spirit of our Faculty, responding to new challenges, and we must not be afraid to change so that it will remain a place where people enjoy thinking together, sharing what seems important and beautiful to them – mathematics.

Alexandra Skripchenko