Medvedev to chair meeting of advisory, coordination boards of Moscow management school 'Skolkovo'

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will hold a meeting of the International Advisory Board and the coordination board of the Moscow School of Management “Skolkovo” on Saturday. He will also visit an exhibition of innovative projects of students, graduates and partners of the school and will deliver a speech at a ceremony to award the school graduates with the school’s certificates, the Russian government press service reported. The participants in the meeting will discuss “the results of activity of the school, the role of the International Advisory Board in the strategic development of the school and the activity of the International Advisory Board to expand the academic agenda,” the press service noted. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, Russian presidential aide Andrei Fursenko, Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov, head of the working group for the creation of the international financial centre in Russia Aleksander Voloshin, Vnesheconombank Chairman Vladimir Dmitriyev and representatives of foreign and domestic companies and business community will participate in the events on the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the Moscow School of Management “Skolkovo”. The private educational establishment Moscow School of Management Skolkovo was founded on September 27, 2006 under the priority national project devoted to education on the basis of state-private partnership. The international advisory board, which is chaired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and the coordination board, which includes the partners-founders, manage the school. Eighteen largest Russian and foreign companies that are the captains in such industries as oil and gas industries, metallurgy, energy, investment and banking are among the founding partners. “In its work the School is guided by such principles as the use of experience of the countries with rapidly developing economy, education through practice, fulfilment of concrete projects, use of innovative methods and technologies of education and a strong research base,” the press service recalled. The school is implementing different programmes of corporative education. The customers of education at the school are Gazprom Neft, Rosneft, Transneft, TNK-BP, Lukoil, Enel, Sibur, the United Aircraft Corporation, Evraz, Metinvest, Rosatom, TVEL, holding MRSK, Renova, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Russian Ministry of Energy, the government of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, OJSC Rusnano, Citibank, Raiffeisenbank, Ernst & Young, MTS, OMZ, DHL, Gazprombank, Profmedia, Sanofi Aventis, Troika Dialog, Efes, Johnson&Johnson, Kaspersky Lab and others. About 140 teachers of international qualification and more than 1,200 invited practising experts are cooperating with the school. To do scientific research at the school special structures were created: the Institute of Research of Emerging Markets - Ernst & Young (2009), the Energy Centre (2011), the Centre of Educational Development (2011). In 2012 the Business Community “Skolkovo” was formed that seeks “to create an infrastructure for business initiatives, including the shaping of the largest Russian network of business contacts, create business associations and clubs, hold business events and participate in the forming of the mechanisms of support to business,” the press service noted. The Club of Investors “Skolkovo”, which brings together more than 70 people, has an investment potential of about 3.85 billion roubles (120 million dollars). In 2013 the participants in the Club funded six projects, including three projects of students and graduates of the school. At the beginning of 2011 the Business Incubator of the school was opened. In December 2012 the Association of Graduates of the school that brings together about 500 people was created. Upon results of the financial year in 2013 the revenues of the Moscow School of Management “Skolkovo” reached about 1.8 billion roubles (56 million dollars) and the operating profit amounted to about 128.8 million roubles (four million dollars).