On November 12, 2020, Yury Blagov, Director of the PWC Center for CSR took part in the VI Academic Fundraising Forum, traditionally held by the Ural Federal University (UrFU). Yury Evgenievich acted as an invited participant in the plenary session "How do impact universities affect the international education ecosystem and corporate ties?". 

In his speech, Yury Blagov emphasized that the discussion about the "third mission of universities" brings us back to the fundamental issue of positioning universities and business schools in society, the thoughtful prioritization of stakeholders and building long-term mutually beneficial relationships with them. Almost thirty years of experience in the development of GSOM SPbU, a faculty of the oldest Russian university, clearly demonstrates the importance of creating a sustainable model of predominant focus on employers' expectations, including the effective work of the Advisory Board and a mandatory focus on international ratings and accreditation. Following this model, which has largely ensured the success of GSOM SPbU, creates the effect of “path dependence” and allows us to quickly adapt to new challenges, including a more responsiveness to the expectations of the local community and society as a whole. In turn, the thesis “Changing the World for the Better” is one of the elements of the GSOM SPbU mission, it is not only a look into the future, but also a statement of a real positive impact on society.

The discussion was attended by Viktor Koksharov, Rector of UrFU; Eduard Galazhinsky, Rector of TSU; Daniel Sandler, First Vice-Rector for Economics and Strategic Development of UrFU;  Tim Mescon, Executive Vice President, Chief Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, AACSB International; Artem Shadrin, Senior Director for Innovation Policy of the Higher School of Economics;  Sasha Zhikovich, Deputy Dean of the University of Rijeka (Croatia); Zhanna Belyaeva, Academic Director of the School of Management and Interdisciplinary Research, InEU UrFU;  Elena Chernyshkova, Director of the Center for Research of Philanthropy and Social Business Programs of InEU UrFU, member of the Joint Council of the Presidential Grants Fund of the Russian Federation.