Entry trajectory. Master's program "Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition" About the course of lectures "Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition"

The Higher School of Economics and the Arche Cultural and Educational Center invite you to a series of lectures in the program “Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition”!

During the course lectures, which will be given to you by experts in the field of cognitive science, you will learn about how our brain works, how it works, reacts to our mistakes and helps us adapt behavior to changing environmental conditions. We will talk about what cognitive dissonance is and how it is related to politics, medicine, journalism, who and how the theory of cognitive dissonance was developed and how our attention works. We will also discuss the methods and research used in modern cognitive neuroscience, including the development of brain-computer interfaces and how they will benefit humanity in the future.

Once a week on Thursdays.

Course program:

Lecture “How the brain controls behavior: from innate behavior to cognitive control”

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Neuro-decision-making machine: how is our brain structured and how does it work? Why are many commonly known “truths” about the brain wrong? Why are our brains limited? Do we need reflexes and instincts? How do we react to our own mistakes? Why are our actions flexible? How do we adapt our behavior to changing environmental conditions? Boris Chernyshev, head. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, will talk about how the brain ensures survival of animals and people, and how the brain makes our actions successful and effective.

Lecturer: Boris Chernyshev- Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Moscow State University. Lomonosov, head. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, lecturer in the program “Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition.”

Lecture “The brain gets nervous, or the mysteries of cognitive dissonance”

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The state of psychological discomfort caused in our minds by conflicts of ideas, beliefs, actions or values is called cognitive dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance, developed in the last century by psychologist Leon Festinger, explains many of the features of our behavior, as well as situations and cases in which our consciousness can be manipulated. Neuroscientist Vasily Klyucharyov talks about how this theory originated, who Patricia Hirst is, how our attention works, and how the theory of cognitive dissonance explains certain phenomena in politics, medicine, journalism, scientific research, and the development of military conflicts.

Lecturer: Vasily Klyucharyov- Candidate of Biological Sciences, neuroscientist, director of the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, scientific director of the program “Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition.”

Lecture “Changes in physiological and behavioral indicators using non-invasive brain stimulation methods” (in English, with translation into Russian)

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The lecture will focus on non-invasive brain stimulation methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). These methods are actively used in modern cognitive neuroscience, as they allow us to draw conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships between brain regions and their functions.

Non-invasive brain stimulation methods allow you to influence rhythmic activity in specific areas of the brain (under the electrode) when stimulated at a frequency appropriate for this area, as well as temporarily and reversibly increase or suppress the activity of this area. Although the mechanisms of operation of TMS and tACS are not yet fully understood, tACS studies have discovered an interesting “pacing” effect: stimulation of brain areas (or entire networks) at their corresponding frequency leads to changes in both physiological and behavioral indicators. Thus, tACS is a promising method both for studying perceptual, motor and cognitive processes, and for neurorehabilitation purposes.

Lecturer: Matteo Feurra- PhD., lecturer of the program “Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition”

Lecture “Modern psychology of attention: from science to practice”

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We live in an era of competition for attention. Mobile devices and the digital environment overflowing with information demand our attention, and advertising, radio and television producers are fighting for it.
But despite a century and a half of research, psychologists have still not reached a consensus on what attention is. However, his research continues actively to this day.
We will look at the main directions of modern attention research and talk about those areas of practice where the results of this research are most in demand.

Lecturer: Maria Falikman- doctor.psychol. Sci., Head of the Department of Psychology at the Higher School of Economics, member of the academic council of the program “Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition.”

Lecture “Interface between the brain and computer”

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The developer of brain-computer interfaces Mikhail Lebedev will talk about his experiments in which he implanted electrodes into the brains of monkeys and read information. These experiments are needed in order to develop interfaces for people suffering from paralysis: using the interface, a paralyzed person will be able to control the movements of a prosthesis using thoughts, or work with a computer. Moreover, it is possible to send information from the outside to the brain - in this way, scientists strive to restore lost sensations: vision for the blind, hearing for the deaf, touch for the paralyzed. In the future, brain-computer interfaces will find wide application in medicine and other industries.

Lecturer: Mikhail Lebedev- PhD, senior researcher at the Center for Neuroengineering (Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center.

Admission is free for all students!

(schoolchildren, students, undergraduates, graduate students).

You must register and have proof of your identity with you.

For others interested:

The cost of the lecture is 500 rubles.

Course subscription: 2000 rub.

We will also organize a live broadcast of the lecture:

The cost of broadcasting is 200 rubles. You can pay via Time Pad:

And who wants to gain deeper knowledge and become a professional in the field of cognitive sciences, the Higher School of Economics provides such an opportunity! Master's program "Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition"

Course location: Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Armyansky lane. 4, building 2, room 205

The Higher School of Economics and the ARKHE Cultural and Educational Center invite you to a series of lectures on the program "Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition"

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Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, full professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Deputy Dean for Behavioral Sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, leading researcher at the Center for Neuroeconomics and Cognitive Research at the National Research University Higher School of Economics

Topic of the second lecture: "The brain is nervous, or the mysteries of cognitive dissonance."

The lecturer talks about how our attention works and how the theory of cognitive dissonance explains certain phenomena in politics, medicine, journalism, scientific research and the development of military conflicts.

The state of psychological discomfort caused in our minds by conflicts of ideas, beliefs, actions or values is called cognitive dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance, developed in the last century by psychologist Leon Festinger, explains many of the features of our behavior, as well as situations and cases in which our consciousness can be manipulated. Neuroscientist Vasily Klyucharyov talks about how this theory originated, who Patricia Hirst is, how our attention works, and how the theory of cognitive dissonance explains certain phenomena in politics, medicine, journalism, scientific research, and the development of military conflicts.

About the course of lectures “Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition”:

Ticket price: 500 rub. Free for those who study (schoolchildren, students, undergraduates, graduate students).
Subscription per course (5 lectures) - 2000 rub.

We invite Russian and foreign students with a bachelor's degree or other in the field of psychology, biology, mathematics, linguistics, or other related fields. Admission of applicants is carried out through a portfolio competition. The applicant must submit the following documents to the HSE Admissions Committee:

1. Resume/CV

Resume (including a recent photograph, education, list of publications, research experience, information about participation in research projects, conferences, student schools, research grants, language skills and other academic achievements). The resume must be written in English. The sequence of resume points should, if possible, correspond to the table:

	Photos and contacts (mail, phone)
2	Academic performance at the previous level of higher education, average score, diploma with honors.
	Publication activity. Indicate the presence of any number of scientific publications: abstracts of reports, chapters in collections of conference proceedings, preprints, articles in scientific journals included and not included in the List of Higher Attestation Commissions, articles in an English-language peer-reviewed journal indexed in the Web of Science and/or Scopus database
	Research experience. Work in scientific laboratories.
	Academic achievements for each of the following points:
	Individual scholarship or grant for study and/or internship at one of the universities included in the top-500 of any of the world rankings of higher education (Shanghai ranking, Times Higher Education, QS)
7	Victories in student Olympiads and student scientific work competitions
	Participation in summer or winter schools
	Additional Information. Knowledge of languages.

2. Motivational letter (500-1000 words)

The letter is written in English. In the letter, the applicant must disclose the area of his scientific interests and areas of planned research, expectations associated with studying in the program, further directions of development and goals after graduation, what theoretical and practical skills the applicant expects to receive during the training process;

3. A copy of the education document with a list of completed disciplines and grades in these disciplines

If you have not yet received a bachelor's degree, please attach an official copy of the complete list of subjects already completed with grades.

The maximum score for academic performance is 20 if you have a diploma with honors from one of the universities included in the “Top 500” (QS 2016). If the university is not included in the Top 500, the maximum score is 10.

If you are submitting an original diploma to the admissions committee, please also attach a copy for the portfolio review committee.

Letters of recommendation can be written in Russian or English and must contain contact information of the recommending person. Letters of recommendation can be submitted in the form of a paper original or an electronic scanned copy. Letters of recommendation must be written by scientists working in the field of cognitive science, that is, they must be relevant to the scientific direction of the program. Letters of recommendation must not contain a “conflict of interest”;

5. Scientific works of the applicant (in the form of PDF files): (if any) (final works of the applicant are accepted);

Publications or completed qualifying work in the field of psychology, neurobiology, mathematics, computer science, and economic sciences may be considered relevant. The compliance of the work with one or more specified areas is determined by the commission.

6. Diplomas and certificates confirming other academic achievements of the applicant (victories in student competitions, student work competitions, etc.), receipt of individual academic scholarships and training grants (if any)
7. International certificate (one to choose from) of passing one of the listed English language skills tests (hereinafter referred to as the language certificate): IELTS, TOEFL PBT (Paper-based) or TOEFL IBT (Internet-based)

Detailed information on the list of required documents:

Portfolio evaluation criteria can be found here:
Assessment criteria 2019.docx

Qualifying exam in English

The program includes a significant amount of work in English. All candidates must pass an English language test at the Higher School of Economics or provide a certificate confirming their level of English language proficiency. Our minimum requirements:

In the absence of these language certificates or insufficiently high scores, applicants are given the opportunity to take computer testing in English at the Higher School of Economics in July. Successful completion of this test will count towards a language certificate.
You can view a demo version of testing and examples from previous years
The remaining applicants provide test results no more than two years old.

Admission of foreign citizens entering within the quota for education of foreign citizens is carried out in accordance with the directions of the federal executive body.

This section provides general information for Russian applicants. If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact the Admissions Office.

For more complete information about admission, we are waiting for you at.

Our master's program offers advanced training in cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and modeling. For thousands of years, the mysteries of behavior have occupied the minds of scientists, including ongoing questions about the functioning of memory, emotions, cognition and consciousness. Only relatively recently have we been able to come closer to understanding the specific molecular, physiological and cognitive mechanisms that determine behavior. This master's program focuses on contemporary research. Students will attend lectures, which will be conducted in English, and practice bases in leading laboratories in Moscow, with which the program maintains partnerships. There is also the opportunity to visit the laboratories of our European partners. Leading scientists supervise students' practical classes and work on master's theses in the second year of study. The program was developed in collaboration with the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and the Center for Functional Integrative Neurosciences at Aarhus University.

What is cognitive psychology?

Modern cognitive psychology is an experimental discipline within which the mechanisms of functioning of cognitive processes are studied. Our program emphasizes research on perception, the control of attention and motor responses, the formation of mental representations, the dynamics of memory retrieval, learning, cognitive development and cognitive impairment, mechanisms of reasoning, language, and problem solving.

What is cognitive neuroscience?

Cognitive neuroscience studies the substrate and mechanisms behind complex behaviors such as emotions, language, attention, memory, etc. Thus, cognitive neuroscience integrates psychology and neuroscience. Methods used by cognitive neuroscience include experimental paradigms of experimental psychology, neuroscience, neuroimaging studies of the nervous system, as well as the certainly currently relevant approaches of behavioral genetics. Scientific breakthroughs in brain scanning have allowed cognitive neuroscience researchers to study brain function in real time using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic and electroencephalography (MEG, EEG), and infrared spectroscopy.

Advantages of the program compared to similar ones

Our program is the only English-language master's program in cognitive science in Russia. The teaching pool consists of world-class scientists, highly cited researchers in the fields of cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics, and neurolinguistics. Our partner laboratories also have access to a range of neuroimaging techniques, providing unique opportunities to develop a young researcher's career.

What will I study?

The master's program covers a wide range of disciplines in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Training opens with introductory disciplines in psychology, mathematics and neurobiology. The section of cognitive psychology is represented by such disciplines as “Visual attention and perception”, “Thinking and emotional modulation of cognition”, “Memory, learning and cognitive development”. At the same time, students study sections of cognitive neuroscience, including “Neuromapping Methods,” “Behavioral Genetics and Neurogenetics,” “Computer Neuroscience,” and “Decision Neurobiology.” An important part of the program is a course in digital signal processing. In addition, numerous seminars and electives are available to students, such as the “Practical Course in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Electroencephalography” or “Computer Modeling of Cognitive Processes.”

Where will I work?

Research laboratories and international research centers;
Companies implementing projects to optimize and evaluate user interfaces;
Educational institutions of higher professional education;
Projects for the implementation of brain-computer interfaces;
Clinical area – preoperative mapping.

Program booklet

Buklet 1 (PDF, 1.06 MB)

Buklet 2 (PDF, 670 KB)

Video lectures by program professors:

Boris Chernyshev:"How the Brain Controls Behavior: From Innate Behavior to Cognitive Control"

Vasily Klyucharyov:“The brain is nervous, or the mysteries of cognitive dissonance”

Matteo Feurra:“Changing physiological and behavioral indicators using non-invasive brain stimulation methods”

The program prepares specialists in the field of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Students become familiar with modern research into the processes of memory, emotion, cognition, and also study the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms that determine behavior. The program was developed in collaboration with the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris). Along with attending lectures (in English), students will have the opportunity to participate in scientific projects of leading laboratories in Moscow and European partners.

Cognitive psychology

Modern cognitive psychology is an experimental discipline that studies the mechanisms of functioning of cognitive processes. Our program emphasizes research on perception, the control of attention and motor responses, the formation of mental representations, the dynamics of memory retrieval, learning, cognitive development and cognitive impairment, mechanisms of reasoning, language, and problem solving.

Cognitive neuroscience