The Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU) has held its traditional meetings of the Educational Programs Councils. Prominent Russian and international scholars, representatives of companies, and leaders of professional communities provided recommendations for the development and improvement of various training programs for future leaders and managers.

The Educational Programs Committee ensure regular communication between businesses, government and non-governmental organizations, and the Business School. They help identify labor market needs and adjust educational tracks in a way that equips GSOM SPbU alumni with in-demand skills and competencies. For example, in response to employer demands, GSOM SPbU is currently preparing an industrial internship program for students in major Russian companies, lasting 6-12 months.

Master in Management

In the 2023/24 academic year, the Master in Management program at GSOM SPbU will introduce a joint educational track with the leading strategic consulting company in Russia, "Yakov & Partners." Students will acquire comprehensive knowledge in strategic management, organizational effectiveness, change management, decision-making under uncertainty, and gain the necessary tools to work in the consulting field. Through regular interaction with consultants from "Yakov & Partners," track participants will have the opportunity to work on real-world tasks and immerse themselves in the corporate culture of international consulting.

Additionally, the Master in Management program will incorporate new disciplines focusing on industry-specific knowledge and the development of soft skills essential for consultants, such as critical thinking, creativity, and negotiation skills.

The Academic Director of the Master in Management program, Yulia Aray, and the leader of international projects for the program, Ioannis Christodoulou, have announced a new project that is already being implemented in a test format this year—the "International Consultancy Project." Within this project, students gain international practical experience by working in cross-cultural teams with students from partner business schools. Together, they solve case studies for an international company under the guidance of GSOM SPbU faculty and consultants from "Yakov & Partners."

Public Administration and Municipal Management and Smart City Management

The Academic Director of the Bachelor's programs "Public Administration and Municipal Management" and "Smart City Management" at GSOM SPbU, Anastasia Golubeva, shared the successes of the programs with the Educational Programs Committee for the current academic year. In 2022-2023, 10 guest lectures were conducted with the participation of representatives from government bodies and businesses. Second-year students of the "Smart City Management" master's program completed two major consulting projects: they developed a digital product to enhance the tourist attractiveness of the city of Baykalsk in collaboration with the Moscow Urban Forum and created a scheme for electronic interaction between businesses and government authorities in St. Petersburg in cooperation with the Project Office of the Governor of St. Petersburg. Additionally, agreements were reached to conduct a "Summer School for Urbanists" at GSOM SPbU with the support of the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and ITMO University.

In the 2023/24 academic year, there are plans for further improvement of educational disciplines by deepening the integration of the ESG agenda, enhancing the focus on customer orientation in the public sector, and developing innovative educational practices in collaboration with program partners. This includes the development of a track on technological entrepreneurship.

Master in Business Analytics and Big Data - MiBA

On the Master's program "Master in Business Analytics and Big Data - MiBA," there are currently discussions about the possibility of introducing new courses for students to learn low/now code platforms, as well as involving employees from companies participating in the program council as lectors-practitioners.

Master in Corporate Finance - MCF

The Academic Director of the program, Alexander Andrianov, has announced the following priorities for the development of the MCF program in the 2023/24 academic year: implementing evening and Saturday programs to allow students to combine their studies with work, developing a digital finance track in collaboration with the MiBA program, implementing a number of disciplines in a hybrid format in partnership with AlmaU (Kazakhstan), and launching a mentoring club to support aspiring finance professionals. Mentors in the club will include members of the global professional community ACCA, finance professionals with extensive experience in leadership positions, as well as psychologists and professional coaches.

Alexander Andrianov also mentioned that the international association ACCA has confirmed the accreditation of the MCF program until 2028. As a result, program graduates can obtain a full qualification within 2-3 years with savings of up to 80% on exam costs.

Management and International Management

In the 2022/2023 academic year, one of the key projects at the undergraduate level was the launch of the "Admissions Campaign 365" project, aimed at establishing systematic contact with prospective students of GSOM SPbU to improve the quality and quantity of students in bachelor's degree programs. The main focus in program development remains on synchronizing educational trajectories ("Analytics," "People," "Digital," "Finance," "Economics") across program disciplines and expanding the range of elective courses in line with the evolving agenda of the external business environment.