BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
‘Life is global and the economy is global too. The pandemic did not heavily change this situation’
mid continuing uncertainty over international travel, the Institute of Business Study Moscow (IBS-Moscow) was able to run an in-person international module for its executive MBA (EMBA) students in April. The decision was a ‘difficult but very powerful’ one for the message
it sent the business community, according to the School’s Associate Dean and Programme Director, Ashot Seferyan. As an established provider of business education in Russia, the decision taken by IBS-Moscow seems significant in showcasing the importance the country places in the value both of international and in-person experiences at this level of study. IBS-Moscow is, after all, Russia’s oldest Business School and forms a principal part of Russia’s largest educational institution – the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). Its EMBA, of which Seferyan is the Founder, was launched almost 20 years ago. In this exclusive interview, Seferyan tells Business Impact why the Covid-19 pandemic
hasn’t removed the need for a global vision in business and outlines IBS- Moscow’s approach to forming international partnerships with other Business Schools. This includes factoring in how a country’s particular strengths and expertise suit the skills that are currently most in demand from managers in Russia.
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The EMBA programme at IBS-Moscow RANEPA includes a compulsory international module. Why do you feel it is important to offer your students an international dimension to their studies in this way? In a global world, you must have a global vision. There is only one way to truly gain insights into the economic and cultural peculiarities of a country or region – you must travel and learn from the citizens of that country or region. And we always choose the best Schools as partners. This philosophy was taken as a core ideology from the beginning of the EMBA programme at IBS-Moscow. In April, you were able to offer an on-campus international module in Dubai, in spite of continuing restrictions in many parts of the world. How did the School go about this and what lessons did you learn for offering this type of module, as the problems associated with Covid-19 continue? The decision to have an international module this April was a difficult but very powerful one. At that point, ours was the only programme in the world to take a risk in providing an overseas education and to take on the responsibility that this involves. On one hand, this decision sent a message to the business community that strong leaders can overcome even the difficulties of the
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