Word from Executive MBA GM21 Program Director

Dear future participants of the EMBA program!

During all 14 years at the Stockholm school of Economics I personally feel one of the main feature of the Swedish system of education: it is a systematic, comprehensive approach. Our program is constantly changing, adapting to changing conditions. Each group of students undergo a unique learning program. But all modules are linked logically, all blocks from the first to the last are aimed at improving the professionals who come to us.

Many of these approaches, concepts and tools may be familiar to some, or even many of you, from various previous training programs, but their consistency and correlation allow those approaches, concepts and tools to be accepted by the heart and creatively adapted to any business.

One of the politicians of the 19th century, who was ranked and positioned as a retrograde and ultraconservative, once wrote: "the Creativity and strength of life rests on two pillars: first of all, on the conservatism of traditions and the progress of innovations, which in a reasonable combination ensure sustainable development of both the state and the individual."

In this regard, I would like to note that only a combination of both classic approach, («classic» in Latin means "best” or “exemplary"), and innovative ones based on modern trends in digitalization, design thinking, big data operations, and so on, gives the greatest effect in both education and management.

It is very difficult to convey this amazing atmosphere of the EMBA program. Atmosphere, in which students are immersed from the first module, atmosphere which is missed by alumni. Atmosphere, where two great cultures: Swedish and Russian combined. There is no other school in Russia where the spirit of creativity and innovation is not declared, but actually supported by the academic policy of the school, where there is faith in every student, where the requirements are really the same for everyone, where dialogue and mutual respect are at the head of the educational process.

You can compare studying at our School with a journey on the river: there is a beginning and an end of the journey, there is a movement during which the surrounding scenery changes and every new day brings something different. But you are still carried by the same stream, fed by a single source, into which the rivers of knowledge, skills and experience of the participants, making the main stream even more complete. And that's why it never dries up.

I hope that you will soon be part of this journey as well. I'll see you soon.

Pavel Novikov