Pavel Vinogradov graduated from St. Petersburg University with a Bachelor degree in International Relations in 2021 and then decided to change his education path by continuing his studies under the Management program. In the summer, he took final exams and was preparing to enter the Master in Management (MiM) program. In an interview, Pavel spoke about what was the most difficult and interesting during the preparation for admission and studying at the Master program at GSOM SPbU.

You entered the University in 2018, why did you choose this education institution?

I studied International Relations at St. Petersburg University. It was a conscious choice, since childhood I wanted my life to be connected with the global world, I traveled a lot and did not see myself within national borders. I wanted to build a diplomatic career: work in the Foreign Ministry or foreign missions of Russia. But the civil service and the diplomatic service in particular is not for everyone, there is a very strict hierarchy and specific rules. By the third year, I realized that this was not for me, and began to look towards international business. During my studies, I tried myself on internships and internships both in the private sector and in the public sector, and the private sector impressed me more.

What do you remember about this period?

It was very comfortable for me to study there, and I was doing what I like: a lot of history, politics, and the global economy. All this greatly expanded my horizons. I specialized in East Asia, studied Chinese and did everything related to this region. The most important thing that I was taught on the International Relations program is global thinking, the ability to see the interconnections of various events and phenomena on the world stage. But this education is quite academic and theoretical, not what they call "skills" — I lacked practical skills.

But what about the study of languages? 

Of course, what International Relations can be without English! The second language is Chinese. To study it was both great and colossally difficult and time consuming. The choice of languages ​​is huge: we taught Turkish, Japanese, Chinese and European languages. The advantage of the program is that you can form your education by yourself. After "International Relations" the doors to many spheres are open — just like after "Management" and even wider. Some fellow students took the diplomatic path, some went into international journalism, and some, like me, went into management.

Why management?

At the end of my second year, I began to specialize in international energy. All coursework and final qualifying work were related to this topic — international cooperation in the field of liquefied natural gas, the Chinese gas market. Already in the middle of my studies, I saw myself somewhere in the international energy business: this is one of the most internationalized businesses in the world, where both managerial and international relations skills must be combined. It was then that I realized that a managerial superstructure was needed for my Bachelor education, which would allow me to further realize myself in the international energy major.

Have you decided not to change the University and continue your studies at the GSOM SPbU?

At the interview in the business communications exam I was asked the exact same question. I had three strategic options: my childhood dream of becoming a diplomat was still in the background — I was thinking about entering MGIMO, I was considering the St Petersburg Mining University — strategic management in the fuel and energy complex — and the Business school. GSOM SPbU was the priority option. I have acquaintances who graduated here with a Bachelor degree, and therefore had the opportunity to get an idea of ​​this place. Plus a colossal number of corporate partners, which is very cool, and there is a real confidence that you will not be left behind in this life. In addition, the practice-oriented approach to learning has sunk into my soul. They are constantly trying to apply theory to practical cases. This is a big contrast to International Relations, it’s neither good nor bad — it’s just a different approach. And of course, when you look at the rankings, including the Financial Times, you want to be a part of something so big.

Tell us about your first semester. What did you like most?

It's really interesting how people come to management after international relations... There are many of them here. First you study the structure of the United Nations and how it works, and then you are immersed in the managerial economy — it's stressful. But overall, the practical focus and teamwork is great. For each subject, we have a project that we do together, and this makes it very much easier to understand new concepts.

You get real knowledge after the fact, when you apply theory in practice. As Olga Dergunova (Deputy President — Chairman of the Board of VTB Bank, Director of GSOM SPbU) said — learning by doing forever. For example, in corporate finance, we made a financial assessment of Siemens, and there are such projects in every discipline. We were warned that the first semester of MiM is difficult for guys with a different background. I do not mean that teachers do not pay attention, on the contrary, everyone is eager to help. It is just a different environment, and the requirements are extremely high, as well as the intensity of the educational process.

I will refer again to our Director Olga Dergunova, who told us that when you come to work in a large company after graduation, everyone there will not care what your background is, what your expectations are and what state you are in. The business has specific tasks that need to be solved here and now, and if you are already here, then please. And here, at the MiM at GSOM SPbU, this situation is well modeled, this is such a demo version of a highly competitive business environment.

What are your plans for the second semester of your first year?

I am doing an exchange for the spring semester at the University of Cologne, at the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences. This is one of the best business schools in Germany. GSOM SPbU has a lot of partners, and it is difficult to choose one. I am now studying German and therefore decided to focus on Germany. As for the expectations from the program, I have already formed a certain learning track and collected subjects that can be re-read here. I have not traveled on an exchange before, this is a new experience for me.

What was the most important and valuable thing for you at GSOM SPbU?

These are definitely people, and everyone: classmates, administrative staff and faculty. Very smart students have gathered at GSOM SPbU, because it is not easy to enter here. Everyone knows what they want from their career, what they want from their life, and at the same time everyone is always ready to help. Working together in a library and doing projects in teams creates a cool coworking atmosphere. Our Master Office always solves everything very quickly. Teachers provide the highest level of knowledge. All together, this is the GSOM Family.

When I looked at GSOM SPbU from the outside, it seemed to me that this was all exaggerated, I could not believe that such a format of interaction is possible and that you really feel like a family of a business school. But when I entered, I felt like I was in this family, and this is the main value, in addition to the highest level of knowledge, a huge number of events and career opportunities. There are really a lot of them, we constantly have some kind of event with corporate partners. But the main thing is the feeling of the GSOM Family. I was pleasantly surprised.

What do you want to do after graduation?

I would like to work in international energy — this is the oil and gas industry, it has attracted me for a long time. There are many opportunities for me at GSOM SPbU: internships, case championships with partners from this sector. There is a stereotype that oil and gas means a lot of money and sheer happiness. In addition to the material aspect, firstly, energy is what the world is based on, it is what allows you to drive cars, fly airplanes — fundamental things. Working solely for money is wrong. There must be an idea for what you are doing. For me, energy, oil and gas are what drives our world in the literal sense, and it is interesting for me to try myself in this industry at a turning point, I mean green trends. How the industry can adapt, how it is happening now, how British Petroleum and Shell do it, we have ESG projects in our companies as well. This is all very interesting from the point of view of strategy, and I would like to work in strategic management or strategic risk management.

Can you draw up a checklist for a student who wants to enroll in "Management" at GSOM SPbU?

Those who do not have a financial, economic or mathematical background, of course, should prepare for the GMAT. Preparing for the GMAT should take three months, it doesn't need to take a year, it's an intense story. Good motivation is important, you need to answer the question for yourself why you want to go there. This is necessary both for the business communication exam and for yourself, otherwise the preparation for the GMAT will not be mentally and physically resistant. Every day I solved 40 problems for two and a half months, despite the fact that I had to pass exams in my bachelor's degree. As for the management exam, I can give a little reassurance: there is one textbook, you go through it, and that's it. The main thing is the GMAT. And you can't really prepare for an interview, because the questions can be different. The main thing is motivation: what can you give business school, what can business school give you?