Open Windows Day
This is how Konstantin Fursov, Associate Professor, Deputy Director of Centre for Statistics and Monitoring of S&T and Innovation at ISSEK, called this Open Doors Day. Traditionally a meeting with interested candidates and Programme representatives is scheduled for Mid April, but for the first time –in online format.
The event brought together more than 40 people which, as many as a traditional Open Doors Days.
Stimulating lively conversation was one of the priorities – most of the time was devoted to the interaction of faculty members, alumni with the candidates and listeners. The online format makes it possible getting closer with no limits – right with the windows open.
First Vice Rector, ISSEK Director Prof Leonid Gokhberg emphasized that the Master’s Programme Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation is embedded in one of the largest HSE research institute – ISSEK. The programtargets modern labour market demands. The Programme continuously is fine-tuned to the changing demands of the real world, and the effect and the results are seen right now at the moment.
Academic Supervisor of the Master’s Programme Distinguished Professor Dirk Meissner started his talk with a very good question frequently asked by students “What is a good student?”
“A good student is one who, successfully graduated the master's programme, got a job, made a career, and even after decades, remembered the programme.”
In brief he introduced the Programme contents, its curriculum and made accents on its unique nature – the facts that make the Programme so different from other Management Programmes:
- Combining two educational tracks: where one goes for managements, innovations and technologies in companies and corporate worlds, and the other – with the government and policies.
- Multinational and policultural environment that brings it closer diverse backgrounds – around 30% of the Programme students are foreigners.
- Opportunity to choose a Partner University for Double Degree Diploma (4 Universities for DDP with the Programme)
Gero Parzefall, a graduate of the DDP with Technical University of Berlin, shared his impressions of studying at two Programmes. Now he works in Berlin as an IT Consultant in Robotics and AI. This Programme helped his to comprehend and determine his career path.
Prof Nicholas Vonortas, Chairman of Academic Council of the Programme, professor of George Washington University, told about new courses and his course in particular which they launched together with Brunno Fischer (Associate Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil). “Course is build upon the question what the audience wants to know”.
“Strategic R&D Partnerships” received an excellent marks during the Students’ Assessment and has been taken for basics for other Programme courses composition.
Mikhail Gerhsman as a course director of two courses – core course of 1st year of studies “STI Policy” and elective “Managing Creativity and Innovation” observed their practical components, based on projects and further tours for students to companies such as Yandex, Skolovo Institute of Science and Technology (SkolTech), etc.
Ekaterina Shor, graduate of 2018, works at Yandex – is involved into welcoming the students at the company – helps with having the Programme students for their internships, gives guest lectures. She shared her experience in applying the knowledge obtained at the Programme and answered such a frequently asked question: Is the Programme practically oriented?
Working in a business sector she also helps to enrich the practical component of the Programme. According to her opinion today the Programme becomes more and more practical sharing it 50 to 50 with its academics.
Much time was devoted to the Questions and & Answers Session:
Faq: What is the purpose of the Programme, where do the Programme graduates work, which sphere can they apply their knowledge? What organizations and companies invite them for employment?
Konstantin Fursov: I want to notice that all graduates of the programme have been successfully employed, and each of them developing in the chosen field. Those who preferred management, work in such companies as Skoltech, Russian Venture Company, Innovation Agency, Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, Rospatent, Rosatom, M-Video, MTS, Yandex, Microsoft, OECD, World Bank, International public transport union, etc. The graduates who have chosen academic career, continue studying for PhD in universities in Russia or abroad.
Dmitry Plekhanov, graduate of 2017, PhD Student of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich) told the guest more about his internship and further employment at OECD, studying at PhD after his graduation from the Programme.
Faq: What is the focus of the Programme: governance and policy in the sphere of science, management or creativity?
Nicholas Vonortas: The programme is designed in such a way that the students first study the main, mandatory part of the course, then they choose which direction to move on, focusing on their sphere of interests and future career (in the public sector or company). Choosing one direction or another, it is important to realize that if you work in the public sector, you understand how the corporate business works, if you work in the company, you understand how the state policy in this area works. These two levels are different, but they are very intervened.
Faq: What background do the students of the Programme have? And should the previous specialization be relevant to the Programme profile – economic background, for instance?
Nicholas Vonortas: have economic education, and I know its importance. I would strongly suggest taking a little bit of economic or business courses. ”Basically what we talking about here is resource allocation: it everything voice down to where I am going to spend my next 10 rubles. Despite mentioned above, students with different backgrounds study here, but they know how to reason logically. We need you to define a problem, slice it up into pieces, and solve it systematically. Not everybody can do it, but people with an interdisciplinary background can do it very well. Do you know which backgrounds I have found the most difficult for this business? Engineering. First, they come to the programme with the attitude that they already know everything. And secondly, they lack the skill of writing, which is rather an important aspect of the programme.
Mikhail Gershman added that it is more interesting and useful to work on projects and do research in a team with different background.
As an example he shared the fact about the graduate of 2016 – being a musician she successfully defended her master thesis, graduated, and now she works on projects at ISSEK.
Faq: What enrolment procedure applies to Olympiad participants? If a candidate got high grade, but did not become a winner? Will such a candidate be interviewed?
Dzhamilya Abuzyarova: At this point in time, priority is given to the winners of the olympiads - who submit documents in the prescribed manner, receive the advantage of setting the maximum score for the portfolio competition, without going through an interview.
Faq: What is the structure or the topic of the interview?
Dirk Meissner: The interview takes 30 minutes. During this time, you will talk with a commission that consists of three programme teachers. You will tell them about your professional and scientific interests, about your motivation and ambitions. I recommend you avoiding common phrases about the university and the programme, be yourself, and tell us in your own way why you are entering this programme.
Faq: Gero, tell us more about your experience to study at Double Degree Programme?
Gero: I graduated from Double Degree programme with the Technical University of Berlin. The first year of study takes place at the TUB, the second year - at the HSE. It was very interesting for me to study in Moscow on this programme. When I got acquainted with Russian culture, I understood deeper the peculiarities of the mentality. The experience I got, helped me to deal with people of various backgrounds in a multinational company.
The programme gave me the ability to dive into different aspects of current activities, to analyse them and to look for effective solutions.