St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology to teach the specifics of doing business in China and Russia

The initiators and partners in the development and implementation of non-degree programmes on the Russian side are VTB Bank and the Russian Export Centre (REC).

In 2024, the organisers are planning to prepare the first two groups of businessmen from Russia and China. The programme consists of online and on-site modules. It will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of a theoretical basis of how to do business with new foreign partners. There is special emphasis on how to lay a solid foundation for high-quality interaction during business missions. 

"Russia-China cooperation is reaching a new level. For further mutually beneficial development of this partnership, a deeper immersion into the culture and peculiarities of doing business in our countries is necessary. The Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University, as a leading business school, VTB Bank, as a leader in the financial sector, and the Russian Export Centre, as a state institute for supporting non-resource exports, are ready to share the most advanced knowledge and practical insights with Russian companies interested in doing business with China and Chinese partners that are interested in building business relations with Russia," said Olga Dergunova, Deputy President — Chairperson of the Board of VTB Bank, Director of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University.

St Petersburg University supports long-term academic cooperation with universities in China. In 2019, an agreement was signed on opening a joint campus of St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology, which was opened on 17 May 2024. The joint educational centre will become a leader in Russian-Chinese science and education cooperation in the near future. This was stated by Vladimir Putin, speaking at the meeting with Chinese and Russian students and faculty at Harbin Institute of Technology. 

In April 2024, Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, visited St Petersburg University to discuss strategic cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and education.

"Last year, the Export School at the Russian Export Centre took the first steps towards implementing joint initiatives at the international level by organising a tournament on business negotiations between universities from Russia and China, which also brings together students at Harbin Institute of Technology. Today, it is a privilege to enter into official cooperation on the development and implementation of the international academic programme for business with the participation of such powerful partners, including the School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology. Obviously, the result of the cooperation is an excellent example of combining the efforts and experience of the two countries in the development of business education," said Alisiya Nikitina, General Director of the Russian Export Centre.

The Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University is a leading Russia’s business school. It is part of St Petersburg University, the Russia’s oldest university. It is the largest centre of science, education and culture. The Graduate School of Management is the only business school in Russia to have the so-called "Triple Crown" of international accreditations of the independent associations AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA. It is among the 1% of the best business schools in the world with similar recognition. It is a recognised centre for scientific research and education in management. VTB is part of the board of trustees at the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University along with leaders of business, government and the international academic community. 

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) is the largest research university and is part of the C9 League, i.e. an alliance of the top elite universities in China. The university campuses are located in Harbin (Heilongjiang Province), Weihai (Shandong Province), and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province). According to the 2024 QS World University Rankings, Harbin Institute of Technology is ranked 256th in the world, while the US News & World Report ranks it as the 196th among the best university in the world. The teaching staff at Harbin Institute of Technology includes 2,900 full-time lecturers, including 1,950 professors and associate professors, 41 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. 

The Russian Export Centre Group (REC Group, part of VEB.RF) is a state institution for supporting non-resource, non-energy exports, which provides financial and non-financial assistance to companies of all industries at all stages of entering foreign markets, including within the framework of the national project "International cooperation and export". The Russian Expert Centre Group also includes the Russian Agency for Export Credit and Investment Insurance (EXIAR), Eximbank of Russia, and the Export School.