On December 16, 2021, the traditional December meeting of the Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU) took place. The Business School management and government and business representatives analyzed the results of 2021 and endorsed priority directions for 2022 as part of implementing the GSOM SPbU development strategy.

Sergey Ivanov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on the Issues of Environmental Activities, Ecology, and Transport, Chairman of the Advisory Board of GSOM SPbU, opening the meeting, greeted the new council members — Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, and Andrey Patoka, CEO of Tele2 (this summer, the mobile operator joined the largest Russian and international corporations providing support to the Business School).

"The participation of business and government representatives in the life of the Business School not only increases the prestige of GSOM SPbU but also allows for even more synchronization of the knowledge, science, and the realities of the economy transmitted to students. Thanks to the trustees' support, we ensure the high quality of the educational process, launch new educational products, attract the best teachers and experts, and create a unique infrastructure. The close partnership of GSOM SPbU with business and the state is an outstanding feature of the university business school: this opinion is shared by the established international Association for the Development of University Business Schools. Having received AACSB accreditation in 2021, our Petersburg Business school confidently stood on a par with the world's leading business schools." 

Sergey Ivanov 

2021 was a breakthrough year for Russian business education. GSOM SPbU received AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation in November. In that way, the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg University has put Russia on the map of the best business schools in the world. The accreditations of the three most reputable international associations — AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA — confirm the highest quality of education at GSOM SPbU. There are more than 18 thousand business schools in the world, but only about 100 of them have all three accreditations at once. Thanks to the achievements of GSOM SPbU, Russian business education can confidently compete with the most prestigious international educational institutions, such as the French business school INSEAD, London Business School, BOCCONI University of Milan, and others.

Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board, GSOM SPbU Director, also noted the unique role of the Advisory Board in the achievements of the Business School and thanked the participants for their active assistance in the Mikhailovskaya Dacha campus development. With the state's financial support, it is planned to begin the reconstruction of the Hofmeister's House and the building of the second stage of dormitories in 2022.

The educational and research goals for 2022 are no less ambitious. A Center of expertise in the field of advanced EdTech technologies will be created on the basis of GSOM SPbU. Work will continue on executive education programs and enhance their practical part through real business cases from the trustee companies. It is planned to deepen digital competencies in all Bachelor programs, update disciplines' content, and increase the proportion of elective courses.

The integration of the ESG agenda into the curriculum and the whole educational process comes first. In her speech, Olga Dergunova emphasized that the ESG theme (responsible attitude to the environment, high social responsibility, and quality of corporate governance) is now becoming part of the daily activity of any manager and financier, having a direct impact on the economic performance of the company.

"Updating Bachelor and Master programs, GSOM SPbU strives to introduce ESG questions into educational disciplines as a cross-cutting topic. The curricula already include courses on sustainable finance, socially responsible business, and research in CSR and ESG. Our aim for the coming years is to increase the proportion of ESG disciplines in the curricula of the main educational programs to 15 percent and involve all students without exception in the discussion of the ESG agenda." 

Olga Dergunova 

The meeting participants supported the priority directions of business school development for 2022. The strategic goal of GSOM SPbU by 2025 is to enter the top 30 European business schools in the Financial Times ranking, become the first choice business school for leading employers, and increase the number of students and trainees to 30 thousand annually.