Press release
January 2023

The Graduate School of Management at St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbSU) and Yakov & Partners, a leader in strategic consulting, have reached an agreement to create a joint educational track called Strategy and Consulting. The new format will be launched as part of GSOM SPbSU flagship Master in Management (MiM) program, ranked 21st in the Financial Times international [Masters in Management](https://rankings.ft.com/rankings/2875/masters-of-management-2022) Ranking.

"The university education system now faces daunting challenges to train specialists capable of supporting the development of the country's economy in the new reality. This initiative is our response to these challenges. We are confident that it will foster a new generation of young professionals and help them build a brilliant career," says Yulia Arai, Associate Professor of the Strategic and International Management Department and MiM Academic Director. "GSOM SPbSU trains leaders in the field of management, who, down the road, will deal with the development of organizations with new challenges ahead. Knowledge of practical consulting tools will be an obvious competitive advantage of our business school graduates."

"Today, the complexity of business problems for many companies in Russia has greatly increased, while the number of experts able to help solve them has declined significantly. From a career point of view, consulting experience is still a kind of a seal of quality, and consulting firms remain the most important talent pool for managers. So if you want to try your hand in different industries, work in a forward-looking field and give yourself a good start in your career, then consulting is the right choice,"

Training in Strategy and Consulting is an opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge in such areas as strategy development and implementation, operational and organizational efficiency improvement, change management and digitalization as well as M&A support in Russia. Yakov & Partners, the successor to the Big Three consulting firms in Russia, will help match the academic community's theoretical expertise and research in this field with market interests and demands. Students will regularly engage with Yakov & Partners consultants, which will give them an insight into real-world problem-solving processes and the corporate culture of international strategic consulting companies.

The new training format will include a range of specialized courses on strategy, leadership, and project management as well as skills training for consulting engagements. In addition, students will perform individual and group work on various business projects with the support and mentoring provided by Yakov & Partners consultants. At the end of the program, trainees will present their final qualifying paper in the format of a consulting project. The examination board will be composed of representatives of GSOM SPbSU and company experts.

In 2023, only 15 first-year students enrolled in the GSOM SPbSU Master in Management program will be able to take the new course. The selection will take place after the first academic term. Grades, extracurricular achievements and motivation to learn in-depth knowledge and skills in strategic management and consulting will be taken into account. The duration of the program will be 1.5 years.


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