About the Institute

The Institute of Ecology was founded in 2018 by the Institute of Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy at the Higher School of Economics (HSE University).

Our mission is to strengthen the University’s position as a leading world-class scientific and educational centre. We hope to apply our expertise and innovative potential to contribute to solving the environmental challenges and achieving the environmental policy targets included in the Executive Order on National Goals and Strategic Objectives of the Russian Federation until 2024 (2018).

Our principal goals are:

• to expand thematic programme of basic and applied research in interdisciplinary social and ecological fields, especially environmental protection, healthcare, geoecology and biology
• to create an international scientific platform for collaboration on global and regional environmental problems (including the Arctic)
• to promote the Higher School of Economics expertise and research

Our activities include:

• Conducting research with international partner universities, institutes, and non-governmental organizations;
• Contributing to HSE’s progress in achieving targets for global scientific research citation;
• Introducing the most successful international practices with a view to supporting experts and analysts from the Presidential Administration and the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to actions on environmental issues;
• Synthesizing national and global experience in the areas of environmental research and policy;
• Promoting international depoliticized dialogue on handling hazardous chemical and biological substances;
• Initiating basic and applied projects with students and young researchers for knowledge transfer and scientific cluster sustaining;
• Facilitating social, corporate, and environmental responsibility at the Higher School of Economics while ensuring a positive impact on local communities.

We function as a sum of three units:

1. Research Unit—provides scientific and methodological support of innovative solutions aimed at improving environmental safety and the quality of the environment, as well as maintaining and strengthening people’s health and living standards in adverse climatic and environmental conditions.
2. Expert and Analytical Unit—consults on Russia’s long-term, sustainable socio-economic development, specifically to support the country’s technological modernization in an environmentally friendly way.     
3. Educational Unit—supports enagement with civil society and increases awareness of environmental and climate problems; consults with authorities and NGOs on methods and solutions.