About the programme

Why was this programme launched?

In 2013, in addition to its strategic goal of providing world-class research and teaching, HSE became a participant in the Russian Academic Excellence Project. To react effectively to new challenges, the University had to undertake extensive transformations over a very short timeframe. This, in turn, created demand for effective administrators, who could serve as the backbone of the changes implementation.

Nonetheless, there were several challenges to overcome:

• HSE’s administrators did not have access to a shared communication space to exchange ideas and work out solutions;
• administrators rarely get to work with colleagues outside of their immediate team;
• there was a lack of understanding in regards to how HSE’s strategic goals can be translated into routine administrative work and what changes would be necessary.

Target group: proactive administrative staff with over 1 year of experience at HSE

Duration: 2 years

Programme goals:

•  creating a shared space of values among HSE’s administrative staff;
•  building support for the transformations at the University and getting everybody on board;
•  developing staff competencies so that they can effectively work together, embrace change, and offer innovative solutions

How does the programme work?

• ongoing discussions with experts and peers through which participants choose  the topics of their projects for the next two years, so as to help  HSE to achieve its strategic goals;
• meetings for the participants with experts from HSE’s departments which are relevant to the projects’ key topics;
• several open review stages: at the start of the first year, at the end of the first year (midterm), and at the close of the second year (general review of the participation results).

The project’s activities are supported by a series of educational events (e.g., workshops, training sessions, etc.) and opportunities for personal development (e.g., coaching sessions).

What are the benefits of this programme? 

• a better understanding of HSE’s strategic objectives;
• in-depth involvement of staff in change processes at the University, as well as their direct participation in finding solutions to interesting challenges for HSE’s further development;
• improving and perfecting professional competencies;
• making professional contacts with colleagues in other departments;

• meeting with HSE’s top administrators who are involved in key decision-making processes.

Since HSE is in a constant state of change and transformation, it is practically impossible for us to draw up a single, exhaustive regulation or bylaw, which could fully spell out what needs to be done. Furthermore, problems are solved not by regulations, but by people who work together, striving to achieve the same aims. Therefore, it is critical to foster an environment which enables a change of attitude from “I’m just doing my own part” towards “I am working towards a common goal”. With this in mind, we should be focused on building good and effective relations with our ‘internal clients’, i.e. students, faculty members and researchers,  and other administrators…

Yulia Grinkevich
Programme Head, Director of the HSE Office of Internationalisation