Induction Module

Russian Economy and Main Trends: Facts and Opportunities
(Dr. Sergey Efremov)

Modern Russia is a young, both in economic and political terms state. Its development largely depends on economic, social, political, cultural, international factors. Russia’s economic growth model is mainly based on rent from extraction and export of primary resources, yet the Russian government is trying to make its markets more competitive and attractive.

Russia performs institutional reforms, improves various business procedures, enhances access to infrastructure, improves tax and customs regulations, generates demand to increase production.

In 2010 Russia ranked only 124 in World Bank’s Doing Business Ranking, in 2017 – 35th.

During the course we will talk about existing and new business opportunities arising in the Far East, about digital technologies, agricultural sector, import substitution, free economic zones, and many other business opportunities. We will answer questions:

• Why international partners should be interested to invest and work with Russia despite sanctions?
• What windgain opportunities Russia has to offer?
• What investors should still be aware of?

We will approach the issues through economic, cultural, political, administrative, social lenses. Students are invited to speak up throughout the course and give their vision of the prospectives.

The goal is to invite everyone to become economic and cultural ambassadors between Russia and their native countries.

Cross-Cultural Communications, Teamwork Issues and Negotiations in Russia
(Prof. Natalya Guseva)

The course is designed for studying peculiarities of effective cross-cultural collaboration in Russia. Russian culture is considered as a new knowledge. Special attention is paid to the communication process, teamwork and negotiations in the multicultural teams. Main characteristics of Russian high-context and European low-context communications styles are discussed, as well as the impact of communication styles on creating the models of cross-cultural collaboration and synergetic teamwork in global companies operating in Russia.

The business game "Multicultural teamwork" is focused on the development of new practical skills and competencies for working in Emerging markets with a particular focus on Russian reality nowadays. Students are encouraged to solve the study cases describing various problems related to multicultural teamwork in Russia. Working in small groups, students are developing the business models of efficient multicultural collaboration taking into account cross-cultural differences between Russians and Europeans.

Roots of German - Russian Cross-Cultural Differences and Their Modern Reflexes
(Dr. Gregor Berghorn)

'Actions get transformed into habits and habits turn into characteristics'.

Following this thesis Dr. Berghorn presents cross-cultural differences between Germans and Russians by employing a diachrone-historic approach showing how and why these differences have developed and where and in which form they can be recognised today.

Dr. Berghorn focuses on three major areas of influence by analysing the heritage of Byzantine, Tatar-Mongolian and Soviet Union era and its repercussions and traces they left behind in the Russian culture. As the Russian culture has been subject to impacts and origins, completely different to (West) European ones, the diachrone approach allows cross-cultural differences to become transparent and comprehensible. Differences can be more easily and more adequately classified and are not only identified as mere facts. The aim of this approach in this module is to enable German students to recognise Russia`s manifold cultural heritage in its modern face and to understand the general system behind the individual.

This approach is enriched by highlighting some 'typical' social issues to which Russians and Germans have developed different relationships and which are fairly relevant for business people in either country. The module is eventually accomplished by some useful and practical advice in the everyday German - Russian business life.

Marketing in Russia: Major Trends and Peculiarities
(Marina Kozak)

During this course students will receive knowledge about marketing in Russia through Global companies perspective. The best cases from German and American companies operating in Russia will give you basic understanding what challenges are in marketing in Russia.

This course will:

• Introduce you how marketing works;
• Give you key definition used in Global companies;
• Present International companies structure;
• Show you possible marketing instruments;
• Help you to define your role in a team;
• Explain how to build high performing team.

We’ll discuss how to take care about customers, how to create marketing campaigns and calculate their effectiveness. You will learn that Price setting and sales is also a part of marketing. Join us and set new challenges for marketing in Russia!

International Entrepreneurship
(Dr. Eugene Tsaplin)

The 'International Entrepreneurship' course is designed to broaden the students' knowledge in the field of international business and international entrepreneurship. The acquired skills and knowledge will enable the students to develop a successful career in an international company or launch an individual enterprise domestically or abroad. The curriculum is developed on the basis of the combined international business experience of leading, globally operating foreign and Russian companies. The curriculum includes a two-sided approach to studying the subject. The first part of the course studies international entrepreneurship from an investor's viewpoint while the second part studies this subject from the entrepreneur's viewpoint. The course curriculum is practice-oriented and includes the participation of invited speakers from leading companies and international academics. The seminar classes consist of master-classes, projects, case studies, and discussion sessions. They enrich the academic process with specific examples and immerse students in the real business world. The course is taught in English.

How to Do Business with Russians in Science and Innovation? - An Intercultural Perception
(Karsten Heinz)

The personal experience of the lecturer within the bilateral cooperation in science and education will be provided in order to sensitize the students for their internships in companies in Russia. The host country has changed a lot since the fall of the Soviet system and it continues to change. Russia has become a player of the globalized economy years ago. Students will enter this new world of labour, culture and social behaviour in Russia for up to half a year. These changes and the intended performance of German enterprises in Russia demand a wide scope of intercultural competences of interns in order to complete their internship successfully.

One of the major tasks of the lecture is to give students an idea about the development of Russian society, economy and culture over the last decades and the consequences for the current society. The lecture will provide some orientation for students in order to recognize, understand and to handle intercultural challenges from the German point of view. What are special features of Russian culture, of the co-operation with Germany and the German-friendly attitude of the Russians? Moreover, the management culture in Russia will be discussed based on some cases.

Also, the general expectations of the host companies towards the students concerning labour attitude and social behaviour as ambassadors of their country and as future leaders of the German-Russian business will be discussed.

Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship in Russia
(Dr. Christian Fröhlich)

This course introduces into an emerging field of business activities that is focused on social purposes and solving social problems. Students will get acquainted with main concepts and models of social entrepreneurship, types of actors and forms of action. Starting from theoretical perspectives, the course relates scientific knowledge with empirical practices and discusses conditions for the development of social business from an international comparative perspective. However, the phenomenon’s recent rise in Russia and its specific legal and cultural conditions are the main focus of the second half of the seminar, which will also shed light on concrete examples of social entrepreneurship in the country. The discussions will be followed by a practical exercise of projecting social entrepreneurial activities in Russia.