January 20, 2026
Students of Moscow’s HSE facing expulsion encouraged to go to war in exchange for academic leave
The administration of Moscow’s Higher School of Economics (HSE University) will be offering students who are facing expulsion for academic failure the option of signing a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense
TL;DR
- HSE University offers students facing expulsion for academic failure an alternative: a one-year contract with Russia's Ministry of Defense.
- Service will be exclusively in the Unmanned Systems Forces, with academic leave granted during the contract period.
- Students are guaranteed discharge after one year unless they opt to re-enlist.
- Notifications must be sent via corporate email, and weekly statistics will be collected.
- A similar option was reportedly offered to students at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.