Jul

16:00

Summer School on Smart Regulation and Digital Policy

How the Digital State Works in Practice

Moscow| July 6–10, 2026

An international program

The working language of the Summer School is English

Register by May 20 to take advantage of early registration!

About the program

The Summer School 2026 focuses on current issues in the digital transformation of public administration and public policy in the context of rapidly evolving digital technologies.

Topics covered include:

modern models of digital government
global trends in digital governance
practices for implementing platform solutions, AI, and data governance
specific features of digital transformation across different countries and regions

Eran Vigoda-Gadot

International Laboratory of Digital Transformation in Public Administration: Invited Specialist

Evgeny M. Styrin

Международная лаборатория цифровой трансформации в государственном управлении: Заведующий лабораторией

Alexey G. Barabashev

Департамент политики и управления: Профессор

Mikhail Ushakov

Deputy Head of the Department for Environmental Management and Protection, Moscow City Control Complex

Tao Chen

Professor at the College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Alexander A. Lyalikov

Deputy Head of the Department of Organizational Development and User Experience of the Federal Tax Service of Russia

Program Format and Results of Participation

The Summer School on Smart Regulation and Digital Policy offers participants an opportunity to explore contemporary digital public administration practices, engage with an international academic community, and develop their own project.

Apply now to become part of this international program.

The program includes:

lecture modules
analysis of Russian and international case studies
workshops
a business game on digital transformation
field sessions
interactive group work

Format: full-time

Working language: English

Participation Fee

The participation fee is 25,000 RUB.

Application rounds

First wave: until May 20, 2026

Second wave: until June 15, 2026

Cost of participation: The registration fee is 3,000 ₽.

	The first wave until May 20, 2026	The second wave until June 15, 2026
Сost of participation	25 000 ₽	30 000 ₽

Accommodation

Accommodation for students starts at 1,000 RUB per night.

Discount Opportunities

Applicants may receive a discount of up to 40%. A limited number of discounts are available on a competitive basis. To apply, please submit a motivation letter to dpodgt@hse.ru by May 20, 2026, explaining your interest in Summer School 2026 and how participation would support your academic or professional development. Results will be announced by May 25, 2026.

Draft Program Summer School "Smart Regulation & Digital Policy"

Day 1. The State as a Service: From Bureaucracy to User Experience

Time / Format	Session	Venue
Morning – Discussion	Opening of the School. The Digital State as a Governance and Societal Challenge	HSE University
Daytime – Field Session	Next-Generation Human-Centered Public Services	My Documents Flagship Public Service Center
Evening – Field Session	Overview Walk Through Moscow City	Moscow City

Opening of the School – The Digital State as a Governance and Societal Challenge (Discussion)

Digital transformation changes not only the tools of public administration but also the very logic of relations among the state, citizens, and business. This session examines the main models of the digital state, the balance between efficiency and control, and new public expectations toward institutions. It also explores how digital interfaces, algorithms, and organizational decisions shape trust, perceptions of fairness, and the legitimacy of public authority. As an introduction to the summer school “Smart Regulation and Digital Policy,” the session will also present the school’s collaborative format, in which participants develop their initial project ideas through work in international pairs or small groups across the program.

Next-Generation Human-Centered Public Services (Field Session)

Using a flagship public service center as a case, participants will explore contemporary approaches to organizing public services in the digital state, including the one-stop-shop principle, digital queue systems, intuitive navigation, digital assistants, and service design. The session will examine how flagship service centers combine physical and digital infrastructure to create more convenient, accessible, and user-oriented interactions between citizens and the state. Particular attention will be paid to how human-centeredness becomes a practical principle of smart regulation and digital policy, shaping new standards of service delivery, trust, and administrative efficiency.

Overview Walk Through Moscow City (Field Session)

During the walk, participants will also discuss how Moscow’s experience in developing digital public and urban services can be compared with that of other global cities, such as Shanghai, Singapore, and Seoul. The discussion will address how different cities approach digital governance, platform solutions, and innovation in the urban environment. Particular attention will be paid to applied collaboration formats, pilots, and joint projects, as well as to the ways research ideas, university projects, and startup initiatives can contribute to these processes.

Day 2. The City as a Platform: Data, Integration, and Life Scenarios

Time / Format	Session	Venue
Morning – Field Session	Public Digital Platforms and Ecosystems of Urban Services	Smart City Pavilion
Daytime – Field Session	Service Standards and Interagency Coordination in the Digital State	Palace of Public Services
Evening – Workshop	Data in the Public Sector and the Public Service of the Future	HSE University

Public Digital Platforms and Ecosystems of Urban Services (Field Session)

This session explores how a digital city is built as an integrated platform ecosystem that brings together transport, education, healthcare, public safety, resource management, and communication with residents. Participants will examine how digital platforms enable the coordination of urban services, strengthen administrative capacity, and support more efficient interaction between public authorities, service providers, and citizens. Moscow’s experience will be considered in a broader international perspective through comparison with global cities

Service Standards and Interagency Coordination in the Digital State (Field Session)

This session examines how public services move from fragmented functions to a service-based and platform-based model. The discussion addresses new quality standards, the role of data, and coordination among agencies in creating a seamless user experience. It also considers how common service standards, shared digital infrastructure, and cross-agency cooperation help governments improve accessibility, reduce administrative barriers, and deliver more responsive and citizen-oriented public services.

Data in the Public Sector and the Public Service of the Future (Workshop)

This workshop brings together the main themes of the previous sessions by examining how digital platforms, service standards, and interagency coordination depend on data and effective regulatory design. Participants will explore how interoperability, data exchange, and digital policy support more integrated, transparent, and user-oriented public services. In the second part, teams will develop a concept for a digital service or urban scenario based on the principles of convenience, efficiency, and smart regulation.

Day 3. Security, Interfaces, and the Boundaries of the Digital State

Time / Format	Session	Venue
Morning – Field Session	Cybersecurity, Sovereignty, and the Protection of Critical Digital Infrastructure	Cyberdom
Daytime – Field Session	Platforms, User Experience, and Artificial Intelligence: What the State Learns from Technology Companies*	Yandex Office and Museum
Daytime – Field Session	The History of Encryption, Secrecy, and Trust as a Foundation of Digital Governance*	Museum of Cryptography
*the final field session format is currently under development by the organizers and may vary depending on institutional arrangements, partner availability, and scheduling considerations
Evening – Free Time (Theater or Optional Excursions)

Cybersecurity, Sovereignty, and the Protection of Critical Digital Infrastructure (Field Session)

Participants will explore how contemporary cyberthreats operate and why digital public platforms must be treated as critical infrastructure. The session examines how governments design governance frameworks to protect interconnected digital systems, ensure data security, and strengthen institutional resilience, while balancing security requirements with citizens’ rights and the broader goals of digital development. Special attention will also be paid to how secure and trusted digital environments create the conditions for sustainable innovation, platform growth, and new entrepreneurial opportunities in the digital economy.

Platforms, User Experience, and Artificial Intelligence: What the State Learns from Technology Companies (Field Session)

The session will take place at Yandex, combining insights from the office of one of Russia’s largest digital technology companies with a museum space that offers a broader perspective on the development of technology, digital culture, and innovation. This setting will help participants reflect on how platform development, product thinking, and AI shape both public governance and entrepreneurial opportunities, while also highlighting new forms of cooperation between the state, business, and universities.

The History of Encryption, Secrecy, and Trust as a Foundation of Digital Governance (Field Session)

This session shows that contemporary debates about security, information protection, and control have deep historical roots. Through the history of cryptography, participants will explore how secrecy, trust, and information governance became essential foundations of modern digital systems. The session will also highlight why trusted systems of communication and data protection matter not only for effective governance and institutional resilience, but also for innovation, digital markets, and entrepreneurial activity in the modern economy.

Day 4. The Future of the Digital State: Innovation, Scenarios, and New Markets

Time / Format	Session	Venue
Morning – Field Session	The Future of the Digital State: From Platforms to Governance Ecosystems	Skolkovo Technopark
Daytime – Field Session	Science, Technology, and Public Administration: New Horizons of Interaction	Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)
Evening	Free Time (Theater or Optional Excursions)	–

The Future of the Digital State: From Platforms to Governance Ecosystems (Field Session)

This session explores how the state is moving from isolated digital services to more complex governance ecosystems in which platforms, companies, regulators, research centers, and users interact. The discussion will examine how digital governance is connected to innovation, entrepreneurship, and new forms of cooperation across the public, private, and academic sectors. Special attention will be paid to emerging areas such as GovTech, UrbanTech, AI for public services, automation, analytics, and cybersecurity, as well as to the new solutions, markets, and professional opportunities developing at this intersection. Held at Skolkovo Technopark, the largest technopark in Eastern Europe, the session will also give participants a practical sense of how digital governance, applied research, and new technology markets can develop through cooperation between the state, business, and academia.

Science, Technology, and Public Administration: New Horizons of Interaction (Field Session)

This session explores how advanced research in artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and digital systems can contribute to the development of smart regulation and digital policy. Participants will examine how scientific knowledge and technological innovation become part of the long-term transformation of public administration and the urban environment, shaping new approaches to service delivery, infrastructure management, and evidence-based policymaking. The discussion will also focus on how governments can work more effectively with universities, research centers, and technology-driven companies in order to adapt emerging technologies to public needs and regulatory frameworks. Held at Skoltech, the session will highlight how frontier research, technological entrepreneurship, and public-sector priorities can be brought together within one institutional setting, creating opportunities for both governance innovation and the development of new solutions for the digital economy.

Day 5. International Cooperation, Comparative Models, and Technological Partnership

Time / Format	Session	Venue
Morning – Field Session* (planned with the support of the Embassy of the PRC in Moscow and/or other international partners)	The Digital State as a Space for International Cooperation	*the final field session format is currently under development by the organizers and may vary depending on institutional arrangements, partner availability, and scheduling considerations
Daytime – Workshop	From a Research Idea to a Pilot, Policy Solution, or Joint Project	HSE University
Evening – Closing of the School. Participants’ Presentations	Comparative Models of the Digital State: Russia, China, and Other Cases	HSE University

Special International Session – The Digital State as a Space for International Cooperation

This session examines how digital transformation is becoming part of the international agenda and creating new opportunities for smart regulation, digital policy, and cross-border cooperation. Participants will discuss how universities, cities, technology actors, and expert communities can work together on joint initiatives in digital governance, data governance, public-sector innovation, and platform development. Particular attention will be paid to the role of international dialogue in shaping common approaches to digital standards, policy learning, and applied cooperation between public institutions, research centers, and innovation ecosystems.

Practical Workshop – From a Research Idea to a Pilot, Policy Solution, or Joint Project

In this workshop, participants will return to the project ideas they submitted before the school and discuss them within their international pairs or small groups. The session is designed to help participants reflect on how their initial proposals have changed through the academic discussions, field visits, and comparative perspective of the program. Working together, they will consider how an original research question or analytical topic can develop into a pilot, a policy solution, a digital product, or a future joint initiative in the field of smart regulation and digital policy. Special attention will be paid to the potential for pilot cooperation, startup-related applications, and cross-border partnerships that may grow out of these revised project ideas.

Participants’ Presentations

In their final presentations, participants will present not only their original idea, but also how it has been rethought and further developed through collaboration within an international pair or group. They will be invited to reflect on what changed in their initial proposal as a result of the cases, institutions, and comparative models examined during the school, and how their idea could evolve into a policy brief, service concept, research agenda, or future collaboration project. Participants will also be encouraged to show whether their revised ideas could lead to pilot cooperation, startup-related applications, or longer-term international partnerships. The presentations are intended to highlight both intellectual exchange and the potential for continued academic, professional, and entrepreneurial cooperation after the program.

Day 6 (Optional). Trip to St. Petersburg

Time / Format

Session

Venue

Optional Program

Sightseeing Visit

St. Petersburg

http://www.saint-petersburg.com

This optional trip to St. Petersburg is designed as both a cultural extension of the summer school and an additional opportunity to reflect on the broader institutional and technological context of smart regulation and digital policy. The program includes an overview tour of the city center, a daytime visit to the Hermitage Museum as a leading cultural institution adapting to digital formats of access and public engagement, and an evening session at ITMO University focused on digital governance, AI, and urban innovation. Travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg takes about four hours by high-speed train, making the trip a feasible extension of the main program. In this way, the visit complements the summer school by linking cultural heritage, public institutions, technological research, and new approaches to digital transformation.

Morning – Arrival and city overview

The tour will introduce participants to the main architectural and symbolic landmarks of the city, including Nevsky Prospekt, the Kazan Cathedral area, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Arts Square, Palace Square, the Admiralty, St. Isaac’s Square, Senate Square, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Daytime – The Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage can be framed not only as a major cultural institution, but also as a case of how museums work with digital access, virtual visits, exhibitions, and large-scale public engagement.

Evening – Special Digital Session

ITMO University: Digital Governance, AI, and Urban Innovation This evening session would fit the school especially well. It can focus on how digital technologies move from research and innovation into public governance, urban services, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. ITMO’s E-Governance Center is specifically dedicated to supporting the development of e-government, while ITMO also has major AI capacity and an Institute of Design & Urban Studies working on socially oriented technologies for complex urban problems.

Add to calendar

Date

6 July 16:00

Address

11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, Building F

About

International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration