The Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University presents a hybrid learning format to the participants of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum

According to the event participants, the transformation of education takes a central place in the development of digital economy. It is closely related to specifying the goals of education and educational results as well as to the new pedagogical practices with the use of digital tools. The development and integration of a hybrid learning format by the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU) is a successful example of this approach at the interface of technology and methodology. The project was conceived before the pandemic, when many leading international universities started experimenting in the field. Further transition to remote learning speeded up its implementation.

Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Director of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University, told the participants about the two years of work on creating hybrid classrooms and the teaching methods related to it.

Due to specific tools and methods, hybrid learning enables even online participants to feel as if they participate in-person.

Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Director of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University

‘Our experience shows that this is a high-quality education format both for students and adult learners attending our programmes. Together with Skillbox, we created an MBA programme for business leaders in the regions, so that they can attend it at the workplace’. We provided for team work and communication between students and teachers in such a way as if the courses were held in-person. Today, it is very important for business to cooperate with universities and jointly discuss a hybrid format of learning with its online and in-person elements, proportions and methodologies, which will help university professors and practicing instructors to acquire this technology. On its transition from business to universities, digitalisation will help to create new educational architecture and teach the knowledge holders, who will ultimately educate our future colleagues,’ shared Olga Dergunova, Director of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University.

The discussion organised by Forbes Congress Russia was attended by: Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Director of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University; Kirill Menshov, Senior Vice-President of Rostelekom; Igor Kalganov, Director General of T1 Group and one of the IT market leaders; Vasiliy Nomokonov, Member of the Management Board and Executive Director of Sibur; Tatiana Safonova, Partner of the O2 Consulting law firm; Irina Lebadeva, Managing Director for Marketing, PR and Customer Experience at Moscow Exchange.

This year, the Centre for Teaching Excellence in Business Education started its activity at the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University. It deals with integrating innovative teaching methodologies and unique digital tools as well as advanced teacher training. The GSOM team had developed and designed a unique configuration of hybrid audience that can be used in other educational institutions including corporate universities and it is ready to share its developments.

The SPIEF participants confirmed the viability of a hybrid approach in education and expressed interest in studying the experience of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University.