Master of Business Administration and Engineering in Saint-Petersburg
MASTER OF BUSINESS Administration and Engineering
Baltic State Technical University
History and development of the project
Economic transition, which begun in Russia in the early 90’s, has motivated many young people to study business administration. It is, thus, natural that the strategic concept approved by The Scientific Council of Baltic State Technical University (BSTU) was the development of economic and business administration training programs. However, the university had to transform the study process in the way allowing the graduates to comprehend subjects of economy and business and adopt themselves to the market economy.
With these objectives in mind the agreement between BSTU and Bodø Graduate School of Business was signed in 1992. The most important elements of the cooperation were:
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Joint education programs in the area of Business Administration;
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Scientific research on subjects of Business Administration;
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Exchange of professors between universities;
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Organizing the joint conferences;
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Exchange of students.
During the period from 1993 to 1997, Norwegian teachers had given short-term courses for the students at BSTU. Each course lasted 20-30 hours. There were given courses on economics, management accounting, financial accounting, marketing, corporate finance, etc. After exams, students were given certificates from the Norwegian Business School. During that period, about 500 students participated in the courses. The success of the project has created opportunities to get financial support from The Norwegian Government for further cooperation. Due to this support, the best Russian students have received opportunity to continue their education at Bodø Graduate School of Business. Since then, 5 to 7 students went to Bodø each year to study Master of Science in Business Program.
Since 1997 partner universities have begun implementing the second stage of the cooperation: integrated program “Master of Business Administration and Engineering” (MBAE). The main idea of the program was to establish business and engineering education which was competitive on the Russian market of educational services and accepted abroad.
The program was established at the Faculty of International Industrial Management at BSTU by Russian and Norwegian professors. The Norwegian side provided the methodical part of the education process, primary and additional literature in English.
Present
At present, the organization of the program supposes students first to study three years on the specialization “Management” according to the standard study plan. After that, in addition to the standard subject, students study at the same time a block of the seven courses:
Each course is about 80 hours in duration and is taught in English by Norwegian professors and in Russian by Russian professors. In addition, the self-study of about 12-16 hours a week is required for each student. Norwegian professors are the course coordinators: they are responsible for preparing the course content, run about 30% lectures of the course and assist Russian teachers in preparing exams. Russian teachers are responsible for 70% of lectures.
Russian teachers participate in the special retraining courses, conferences and seminars in Norway in order to develop and use new knowledge of their work in training business administration specialists in Russia.
Results
During the period 1995-2004 150 students have graduated The MBAE program in Saint-Petersburg. All of them managed to adapt to the modern business environment and get high-qualified job in Russian and foreign enterprises. Moreover, many students continued their education in Bodø Graduate School of Business. Thus, 60 students of BSTU have received diplomas of Master of Science in Business at Bodø Graduate School of Business. All of them successfully work in international and Russian enterprises. Besides, 10 of them graduated the Advanced Master Program, and 1 of them has completed Ph.D. study and defended Ph.D. thesis in Norway.
In 2000, the MBAE program received high acknowledgement by the Norwegian Institute of Applied Science, which made an evaluation of the program. The program was evaluated as one of the best in the cooperative programs with the eastern Europe financed by the Norwegian Government.
A visit made by Prime-minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg to Baltic State Technical University in June 2001 has symbolized the importance of the project for the both Russian and Norwegian sides.
For great efforts in developing the research and international cooperation the rector of Bodø Regional University, Frode Mellemvik was awarded the degree of The Honourable Doctor of Baltic State Technical University on July 2001.
The success of 12 years cooperation is a guarantee that this education project will allow the realisation of the training the specialists in Russian conditions capable of satisfying needs of Russian and foreign enterprises. Furthermore, cooperation between two institutions contributes to the better mutual understanding between Norway and Russia in the sphere of education and culture.
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