A new 6-week online course on awareness development has started at GSOM SPbU. The pilot launch of the project took place in 2019, and feedback on the course proved the relevance of such practice in a business school.

Awareness skills allow people to develop the quality of presence in the present moment, increase the skill of concentration, give greater confidence. This is understood by leading companies (from Google to Sberbank) and leading universities (Stanford and Oxford), which are already teaching their students and employees this approach. Classes are taught by a certified trainer, mindfulness practitioner Ksenia Kolesnikova. The participants are 30 students and recent alumni of the School.

“For the second year, we have been conducting a course on awareness practice at GSOM, and we understand that students would like to develop the ability to cope with stress and emotional stress, and to increase the level of awareness in their lives. This is important, especially now, in times of heightened uncertainty, ” Ksenia Kolesnikova said. “We learn to train attention, master the ability to be at present moment, learn the mechanisms of relaxation and calm the mind, note how this affects our behavior, and discuss how practice, in general, contributes to our overall well-being".

Throughout the course, participants will learn the basics of mindfulness practice, including daily exercises. A support chat has already been created for the participants in the Telegram. In particular, it conducts a monthly “awareness marathon” — small daily tasks for development of participants awareness.