12th Annual International Scientific Economy & Management Conference 2025 (EMC 2025)

Conference paper requirements:

• Papers are accepted both in Russian and English (the choice of language is at the discretion of the author);
• The total volume of the paper, excluding the title page and list of references, must be at least 6 and no more than 9 pages;
• The text of the paper must be uploaded to the registration form in Word format (.doc/.docx);
• Submission of several papers to the Conference is allowed, but the author can present no more than one paper at each track as a speaker;
• Each author planning to attend the Conference must fill in registration form separately;
• At least one of the authors of the paper must participate in the Conference and present the paper (online or offline);
• The paper can be revised and improved after receiving feedback from the reviewers;
• After the end of the Conference, it will be necessary to send the final paper text for inclusion to the online proceedings of EMC 2025 (if the author wants to be published in the proceedings);
• Tracks are held in the format of oral presentations (free-form design) followed by a series of Q&A;
• The presentation of the paper must be the same language in which the paper text was sent.

Please, find the enclosed paper template

The “Economy and Management” Conference (EMC) is an annual scientific event organized by the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg University, a leading Russian business school accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA.

Launched in 2014 as the Emerging Markets Conference, the revamped Economy and Management Conference has become a vibrant and dynamic platform for academics and business leaders from around the world to exchange research ideas and share practical experiences on a wide range of topics. The conference encourages and promotes research and creates dialogue between academics and practitioners in various fields of management, economics and business.

The upcoming 12^th “Economy and Management” Conference will be devoted to discussions on modern trends in management and economics in a rapidly changing world. The conference will consider current issues of the impact of economic, political and environmental uncertainty on the strategies and activities of companies, identifying new drivers of efficiency in the current context, the role of financial innovations in increasing sustainability and efficiency, the contribution of institutions to sustainable development at various levels (companies, cities, regions), changes in international cooperation in the face of shocks, as well as the importance of flexibility and resilience for business and national development efforts.

In order to enhance collaboration opportunities, the 12th “Economy and Management” Conference will be held in a hybrid format, and papers will be accepted in both Russian and English. Round tables with the participation of practitioners, some sections and associated events will be held in Russian.

Paper acceptance	Until June 16
Review and paper selection	Until July 21
Registration deadline for listeners	September 26
Postgraduate Colloquium	October 1
Main part of the Conference	October 2-4

ЕМС 2025 Listeners:	ЕМС 2025 Speakers:
Free of charge any format (online/offline):	Free of charge any format (online/offline):
Students, postgraduates of any educational organizations; Faculty, staff and students of St. Petersburg University; Members of the Program and Organizing Committee.	Participants of the Young Researchers' Paper Competition*; Faculty, staff and students of St. Petersburg University; Members of the Program and Organizing Committee.
Paid basis:	Paid basis:
2000 rub. – offline 1000 rub. – online	2000 rub. – external speakers (including postgraduate students, who have not applied for the Young Researchers' Paper Competition)
School for authors by the Russian Management Journal Paid basis: 2000 rub. – paid separately by all those wishing to participate in an associated event, regardless of the category and format of participation in the main Conference programme.

Other associated events are included to the cost of participation in the main Conference programme – there is no need to pay for them separately.

*The Young Researchers' Paper Competition – a competition held within the framework of EMC 2025, in which students, postgraduates and young researchers (up to 35 years old) from any educational institutions can take part (participation is indicated when filling in the registration form).

Track Chair:

Blagov Yury, GSOM SPbU, blagov@gsom.spbu.ru 

The emergence of a multipolar world in the context of exacerbating global problems requires businesses to engage more deeply and in a balanced manner in achieving national development goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. New forms of interaction between business, society and nature are emerging, corporate sustainability models are being transformed, and their traditional elements are acquiring new content. Attention to the moral foundations of responsible business is growing.

The two-day track "Business and Society in a Multipolar World" provides participants with a unique opportunity to discuss current issues with an international group of scholars from leading business schools and universities, as well as with representatives of business and non-profit organizations. We invite papers that deal with a meaningful rethinking of corporate sustainability in modern conditions, as well as an analysis of the current practices and experiences of responsible companies.

The track will be supplemented by two round tables that will be held for Russian-speaking business and academic audiences. We invite participants to an open discussion on the development of corporate volunteering, as well as on the problems of implementing the educational module "Service Learning".

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to):

• Moral capitalism: new challenges
• Development of corporate sustainability models
• Business and the "green" agenda in Russia and the world
• Corporate philanthropy and corporate volunteering
• Social entrepreneurship
• Current issues in the development of management and management education through the prism of sustainable development in a multipolar world

Track Chairs:

Olga Nikiforova, GSOM SPbU, o.nikiforova@gsom.spbu.ru  

Victoria Tsybova, GSOM SPbU, tsybova@gsom.spbu.ru

In the context of an increasingly complex multipolar world and growing global turbulence, human capital is becoming one of the key factors for the sustainable development and competitiveness of companies, regions, and states. The track "Human Capital Development: Challenges of a Multipolar World" focuses on contemporary trends, challenges, and prospects in the field of human capital research, education, professional development, and social responsibility. Participants in the track will discuss how global changes, including technological breakthroughs, geopolitical shifts, labor market transformations.

Special attention will be given to key issues such as:

• The evolution of human capital concepts in modern science and management practices;
• The role of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in human resource management;
• New demands for leadership in a multipolar and uncertain world;
• Strategies for personnel development in an era of constant change;
• Features of national models of people management and their adaptation to global challenges;
• Alternative approaches to overcoming workforce shortages, among others.

 

The track aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and provide practical recommendations for businesses and policymakers navigating the complexities of human capital development in a rapidly changing world.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to):

• The Evolution of Human Capital Concepts: From Theory to Management Practice.
  • How are approaches to understanding human capital changing in the context of global transformations?
  • What new models and concepts of human capital are offered by contemporary research?
• Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies in Human Resource Management.
  • How are AI and automation transforming recruitment, training, and employee retention processes?
  • Ethical and practical challenges of implementing digital and AI technologies in HR.
  • Artificial Intelligence via Human Capital: what to Invest in?
• Leadership in an Era of Multipolarity and Uncertainty.
  • What skills and competencies are required of leaders in the unstable environment?
  • How to develop leadership potential in conditions of constant turbulence?
• Strategies for Personnel Development in a Context of Constant Change.
  • Lifelong learning and work-life balance or reindustrialization and new forms of exploitation?
  • Corporate training programs and their effectiveness in a multipolar world.
• National Models of Human Capital Management: Pecularities and Adaptation.
  • Comparative analysis of approaches to human capital management in different countries.
  • How do national models respond to global challenges such as migration, aging populations, and digitalization?
• Overcoming staff shortages: Innovative Approaches.
  • Alternative strategies for attracting and retaining talent: outsourcing, remote work, international recruitment.
  • The role of automation and robotics in addressing workforce shortages.
• Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development of Human Capital.
  • How can businesses contribute to human capital development through ESG initiatives?
  • The impact of corporate culture on employee well-being and productivity.
• Managing Diversity and Inclusion in a Global Context.
  • How does multipolarity affect approaches to diversity and inclusion?
  • Practices for creating an inclusive environment in international companies.
• The Role of Education and Institutions in Shaping Human Capital.
  • How do educational systems adapt to the requirements of a multipolar world?
  • Partnerships between business, state and education for human capital development.

Track Chairs:

Andrei Panibratov, GSOM SPbU, panibratov@gsom.spbu.ru

Yugui Zhang, School of Economics and Finance, Shanghai International Studies University, yuguizhang@126.com

The track discusses the impact of the changing business environment on the strategies of firms from the Global South and multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Asian countries. We invite scholars and practitioners to exchange their ideas on business- and non-market strategies, taking into account economic, geopolitical, and social challenges. MNCs from the Global South (with a notable example of China) actively engage in politics (at home and abroad), which allows them to build a greater competitive advantage. Many of these firms avoid direct interaction with the government, but at the same time actively adapt to the state agenda, for example, by implementing partnership strategies to accumulate political capital, or investing in social projects to increase their legitimacy and improve the image of the home country. In addition, investing in projects together with the state can be a tool that helps firms reduce transaction costs and establish closer relations between the private and public sectors.

We invite papers that expand the understanding of the multi-level interactions between business and politics, as well as the internationalization of MNCs from emerging markets and the implications for firms, industries, and the Global South countries in general. The track submissions may cover either a general picture of the changing business landscape in the Asian context or focus on specific topics. Both theoretical and empirical materials are welcome, using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods, as well as an interdisciplinary approach.

The track will be supplemented by round table discussion: The influence of Asian MNC’s beyond their local markets in the current socio-political context, with a focus on traditional and new emerging markets such as the Asia-Pacific region or Africa.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to):

Topic 1: Technology based advantages

• Internationalization of Asian digital platform firms
• Technology investments from China into other Global South countries

Topic 2: Foreign direct investments and M&A

• FDI and M&A deals between Global South countries
• Institutional barriers for Asian firms and their counterparts

Topic 3: Talent management

• Implications of Global South countries’ diaspora for Russian business
• Asian migrants as a channel for knowledge and capabilities development

Topic 4: Environmental strategies

• Combining international growth and environmental performance: how natural resource based MNCs combine two in one?
• Opportunities and options of climate strategy development with support of state-owned enterprises

Topic 5: Regional challenges

• Belt and Road Initiative and integration of firms from the Global South countries
• Asian companies’ strategy in Russia under economic embargo

 

Track Chairs:

Tatyana Martynova, GSOM SPbU, martinova@gsom.spbu.ru

Albina Kaminskaya, GSOM SPbU, a.v.kaminskaya@gsom.spbu.ru

 

We invite researchers, teachers and business practitioners to discuss topical issues of language education in business school and share professional experience and research outcomes in the field of language, professional communication and education.

A diversity of opinions, approaches and methods will help the track participants better understand the current labor market needs and tendencies in preparing students for the challenges of the multipolar world.

The track is a multidisciplinary platform for discussing new societal challenges and solutions that need to be understood here and now.

Keywords presenting the track: languages, professional communication, business education, business communicators, global communications, education tendencies.

The track will be supplemented by round table discussion: “The Future of Languages and Professional Communication in Business Education”

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to):

• Interpretations of the concepts "language" and "communication" in business education.
• Professional communications. Language aspects of professional communication
• Communication skills in business. Language and communication behavior.
• Teaching languages and the design of language and communication courses.
• New approaches and technologies in teaching language and communication skills.
• Language diversity in modern business education: a tribute to academic traditions or a market requirement?

 

Track Chairs:

Maria Smirnova, GSOM SPbU, smirnova@gsom.spbu.ru   

Olga Alkanova, GSOM SPbU, alkanova@gsom.spbu.ru

 

Modern marketing - as a discipline, field of research and sphere of practice - is the result of interaction and confrontation between global trends and cultural peculiarities, digital technologies and the newly growing value of personal interaction with the customer, availability of customer data and responsibility for its ethical use. The relationship between consumers, firms, society and technology is taking new forms and transforming familiar business models.

The significance of turbulent conditions depends on how familiar and established marketing concepts, approaches, strategies and constructs are applicable in the new environment. What elements allow you to maintain and strengthen your market position? What should be rethought and rediscovered? How to transform the value proposition in the new realities? How to make rapidly evolving technologies an ally and a source of sustainable competitive advantage?

The track will be supplemented by round table discussion: “Marketing and AI: Are there any opportunities to build strategic advantage?”

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• The transformational role of artificial intelligence
• Marketing theory: evolution and rethinking of classical concepts
• Marketing strategy and value proposition in an era of turbulence
• Consumer behaviour in the context of digitalisation and information overload
• Marketing research and marketing analytics methodology
• Customer centricity and relationship marketing
• Cross-cultural marketing
• Approaches to teaching marketing

 

Track Chairs:

Tatyana Gavrilova, GSOM SPbU gavrilova@gsom.spbu.ru

Nikolay Zenkevich, GSOM SPbU zenkevich@gsom.spbu.ru

Management science, data and knowledge are key assets of XXI century companies. In today's digital economy, advances in technology are changing the way people work, interact, think and coordinate their activities. Operations management (OP) includes all the main processes of managing production activities: from the production of goods and services to their delivery to the end consumer. Business informatics (BI) is an interdisciplinary field that includes the economics of digitalization, based on computer science concepts, it develops and applies information technology (IT) and information management (IM) methods for the benefit of business. Of interest here is the interaction of digital technologies with organizations as socio-economic systems.

Operations management and business informatics are concerned with efficient operations based on information technology and its applications. These include business analytics, big data, data management, information and knowledge management, ERP systems, decision making, IT project management, intelligent applications and many other areas.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Operations management and efficiency
• Logistic methods, tools and practices
• Methods and models of supply chain management, tools, and practices
• Organizational performance measurement
• Data governance
• Knowledge and information management (KM and IM)
• KM strategy
• Knowledge-based strategies
• Innovation management
• Learning Organization & Organizational Learning
• Implementation of KM tools (Communities of practice, Expert networks, Lessons Learned systems)
• Business applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and Big data
• Business applicational of ontology engineering and semantic technologies
• Business intelligence
• Information and knowledge management (IKM) in supply chains, finance, marketing, HR, strategy, and business transformation
• Big data analytics for decision making
• Decision making in VUCA world (under Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity)
• Decision support systems
• Data-driven decision making
• Behavioral economics of decision making
• Decision-making in supply chains, finance, marketing, HR, strategy and business transformation

 

Track Chair:

Tatyana Sklyar, GSOM SPbU, sklyar@gsom.spbu.ru

The track consists of some consecutive academic sessions on public sector governance and performance

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Public finance
• Public utilities
• Management in education
• Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector

 

Track Chair:

Anastasia Golubeva, GSOM SPbU, golubeva@gsom.spbu.ru

The track consists of two consecutive academic sessions and round table. The questions of smart technologies applying in urban management are going to be discussed.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Smart technologies applying in urban management
• Urban development
• Cities attractiveness enhancing

 

Track Chair:

Andrei Ivanov, GSOM SPbU, ivanov@gsom.spbu.ru  

The track starts from two consecutive academic sessions on improvement of public procurement performance in turbulent environment, value-based procurement implementation and anticorruption issues and will be followed by one or two sessions on People-first PPP and other PPP issues.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Improving the efficiency of public procurement methods
• Implementing value-based procurement
• Combating corruption and collusion
• PPP for people

 

Track Chair:

Andrei Ivanov, GSOM SPbU, ivanov@gsom.spbu.ru

Peter Yablonsky, SPbU, Piotr_Yablonskii@mail.ru

The track consists of several consecutive academic sections on issues of policy, management and innovation in healthcare and ends with the next meeting of the permanent seminar of GSOM SPbU on management and innovation in healthcare. The working language of the seminar is Russian.

The track ends with the next meeting of the permanent seminar of GSOM SPbU on management and innovation in healthcare. The topic of the seminar will be determined at its previous meeting on 19.06.2025. The working language of the seminar is Russian.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Applying value chains to model the activities of a healthcare organization
• Artificial intelligence in healthcare
• Combating mala fide practices in medical procurement
• Health technology assessment

Track Chairs:

Karina Bogatyreva, GSOM SPbU, k.bogatyreva@gsom.spbu.ru

Olga Verkhovskaya, GSOM SPbU, verkhovskaya@gsom.spbu.ru

 

The complexity of the external environment influences the development of various aspects of entrepreneurial activity, highlighting the versatility of entrepreneurship as a phenomenon. Uncertainty and variability affect both the theory of entrepreneurship and the methods of its study, as well as the range of tasks solved by entrepreneurs. This also influences the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems and the mechanisms used by public institutions and the state to promote entrepreneurship.

The track will be supplemented by round table discussion: “Entrepreneurship in a new age of digitalization and artificial intelligence”

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• SMEs’ strategic behaviour
• Innovative entrepreneurship and knowledge-based initiatives
• Intrapreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship
• Sustainable entrepreneurship
• Personality of entrepreneur
• Emergence of entrepreneurial intentions and early business development
• Human capital in entrepreneurial ventures
• Institutions, external environment and entrepreneurship
• Ecosystems and support for entrepreneurship development

Track Chair:

Darko Vukovic, GSOM SPbU, d.vukovic@gsom.spbu.ru

The track covers a comprehensive exploration of diverse, state-of-the-art topics that highlight the transformative effects of digital technology on finance. This includes the revolutionary roles of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in forging decentralized financial systems, alongside the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies that strive to merge digital currency advantages with traditional banking stability. The track also emphasizes innovations in digital payments and mobile banking as critical for broadening financial service access, particularly in emerging markets, while Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are spotlighted for their unprecedented contributions to fraud detection, risk management, and the personalization of banking services.

Ensuring data privacy and security is vital, addressing the intricate challenges of safeguarding sensitive financial data within an increasingly connected global landscape. This track further ventures into the dynamic world of FinTech startups, which are at the forefront of fostering innovation and collaboration within the financial sector and scrutinizes the pivotal role of digital finance in advocating for sustainable and “green” finance initiatives. Regulatory and ethical considerations could be also examined, underscoring the necessity of balancing innovation with consumer protection and ethical standards. Additionally, the significance of digital identity systems in building trust and efficiency in financial transactions is of interest in this section.

Also, the track anticipates future trends, including the potential ramifications of quantum computing and the broad, cross-industry impacts of digital finance, thereby facilitating a rich dialogue on the ongoing evolution, and reshaping of the financial domain in the digital era.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Blockchain Technology and Finance
• Smart Contracts: Implications for Automated Transactions and Legal Frameworks
• Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Opportunities and Risks
• Cryptocurrencies and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
• Regulatory Frameworks for Cryptocurrencies: Balancing Innovation with Consumer Protection
• Digital Payments and Mobile Banking
• Enhancing Financial Inclusion through Mobile Banking in Emerging Economies
• Security Challenges in Digital Payments and Strategies for Mitigation
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Finance
• Data Privacy and Security in Digital Finance
• Protecting Financial Data in the Digital Age: Best Practices and Emerging Technologies
• The Role of Encryption in Financial Transactions and Data Storage
• FinTech Innovation and Startups
• Venture Capital in Digital Finance: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
• Digital Platforms for Promoting Sustainable Investments
• Blockchain and Digital Tools for Enhancing Transparency in Green Finance
• The Role of Digital Finance in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Regulatory and Ethical Considerations
• Digital Identity and Trust
• Future Trends and Innovations
• Impact of Quantum Computing on Financial Security and Cryptography
• Cross-industry Implications of Digital Finance: Healthcare, Real Estate, and Beyond..

Track Chair:

Elena Rogova, GSOM SPbU, e.rogova@gsom.spbu.ru 

GSOM SPbU consistently develops the direction “Strategic Finance”, which is related to measuring the efficiency of realisation of long-term goals of an enterprise, institution or society. Strategic finance covers three areas. Firstly, it is the financial assessment of strategic decisions made in the conditions of growing uncertainty of the external environment.  

The second important factor in the development of the field is related to the digitalisation of the economy, new financial modelling tools such as machine learning, application of artificial intelligence, advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods.

The third area of strategic finance is the financial instruments of company sustainability and its measurement. ‘Green’ financing instruments, methods of forming sustainability ratings and their connection with the strategy of enterprises are also the subject of discussion in this section.

The track will be supplemented by round table discussion: “Corporate Governance in Digital Reality”. It will be devoted to how digitalization tools change approaches to corporate governance in companies. We will discuss the practice of implementing digital tools in various areas of corporate governance in Russian and international companies, their advantages and problems associated with digitalization.

Members of boards of directors, heads of Russian companies, Russian and international researchers, business practitioners, students and postgraduates are invited to participate in the discussion.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to): 

• Corporate Finance,
• Financial Hedging Techniques,
• Real options and uncertainty analysis,
• Risk Management and Sustainability,
• Study of market reactions to companies' financial decisions,
• Corporate Governance and Internal Control,
• Mergers and Acquisitions,
• Financial Accounting and Analysis,
• ESG-financing, its relation to the financial decisions of companiesе

Paid basis: 2000 rub. – paid separately by all those wishing to participate in an associated event, regardless of the category and format of participation in the main Conference programme.

Venue: Sankt-Peterburgskoye shosse, 109; GSOM SPbU Campus “Mikhailovskaya Dacha”
Hotel options: To be updated.