It is not easy to get university graduates and students interested in living and working in Kamchatka, a remote region with harsh natural conditions and an extreme climate. Mirror Laboratories, a joint project of the HSE Institute of Education and Kamchatka State University (KamGU), encourages the development of ‘explorer’ competencies and the modernisation of the region’s education system. The HSE News Service discussed the project with Taras Pashchenko, Chief Expert of the HSE Laboratory for Curriculum Design.