The Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University and the School of Management of Almaty University conducted a joint project "International Consulting Project". Three teams of 20 graduate students from GSOM SPbU and AlmaU acted as consultants and developed innovative solutions for the cases proposed by IQVIA.

Under the guidance of the representatives of the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University and IQVIA mentors each team developed options for solving cases on the topic of growth and localization of the pharmaceutical industry in Kazakhstan. The teams were mentored by external experts from Yakov & Partners, the leading consulting company in Russia.

 

Since 2023, a unique educational format has been opened for the students of the Master in Management program: a consulting track in cooperation with Yakov and Partners. This is an opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge in Russia about the development and implementation of the strategies, improving operational and organizational efficiency, change management, digitalization and support for mergers and acquisitions. The Russian successor to the big three strategic consulting companies Yakov & Partners will help to correlate the theory and research of the academic community in this area with the interests and needs of the market. Thanks to regular interaction with Yakov & Partners consultants, students will immerse themselves in the real tasks and corporate culture of international consulting.

 

Associate Professor of the Department of Strategic and International Management Yannis Christodoulou commented on the relevance of the project: "The international consultancy student project has been an exceptional opportunity for our students to apply and develop their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. Through this project for IQVIA, our students have been able to gain valuable working experience in a diverse cultural setting and develop their problem-solving abilities. This transformative experience not only broadened their perspective but also gave them the confidence to pursue future career aspirations in international markets."

“One of the driving forces of  the master's programs at GSOM SPbU has always been the international component. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to provide students with opportunities for cross-cultural experience. Such training modules provide an opportunity to expand the boundaries, see new horizons, look at professional tasks from a different perspective,” said Olesya Ustimenko, Master's Program Manager at GSOM SPbU.

From the middle of May to the middle of June the teams worked remotely participating in brainstorming sessions, analyzing complex problems which the pharmaceutical market in Kazakhstan face and building solutions. The students received feedback and valuable recommendations on searching and analyzing information and the approach to solving cases at intermediate meetings with IQVIA mentors and the mentors from Yakov and Partners. From June 26 to June 30, students continued to work on the project offline at the AlmaU campus in Almaty, and at the end of the trip they made final presentations to the management of IQVIA.

"I cannot even express my emotions how grateful I am for this trip! Thank you very much for this experience. We learned a lot about consulting from the inside and became very close with the group mates. This trip definitely changed us and challenged our character in different situations. It was an exciting and knowledgeable experience. One of the life changing points. Thank you!", - noted Maria Vinokurova, a student of the Master in Management program.