Rationale

In today’s world, innovation is no longer merely a driver of change; it has become a critical inflection point with a far-reaching impact on all areas of life, most notably on the economy and business. The current socio-economic and scientific-technological environment provides the necessary conditions for the development of innovations, including breakthrough innovations, which are essential to the emergence of systemically important industries and to ensuring the technological sovereignty and leadership of the Russian Federation.

Against this backdrop, there is a growing demand for professionals capable of identifying innovation potential and assessing new entrepreneurial opportunities; integrating emerging technologies and developments into existing business processes or designing new ones; creating distinctive competitive advantages for businesses entering and developing new markets; managing small engineering teams, which are playing an increasingly important role in business organization; and leading innovation projects and programmes. Such professionals must also be able to systematically assess the implementation of innovative business ideas, projects, and products while taking into account financial and economic, environmental, socio-political, and ethical challenges and risks.

The Technology Innovation Management educational programme is designed to develop the professional and personal competencies required for the effective management of innovation projects and technology-driven products, both in corporate environments and in independent entrepreneurial ventures, including start-ups. Graduates are prepared to work as specialists and managers of innovation projects and small engineering teams; in innovation product development and commercialization units of public- and private-sector organizations; in innovation ecosystem organizations, including funds, accelerators, and science and technology centres; in consulting firms and engineering centres; in technology commercialization and transfer units at research institutes and universities; and in government bodies responsible for innovation policy and development. The programme also provides a foundation for launching and developing innovation-driven businesses and start-ups.

Fundamental Education

In the context of technological paradigm shifts and high levels of uncertainty, professionals need to develop a coherent scientific understanding of the world, combined with breadth, flexibility, and systemic thinking. They must be able to identify objective cause-and-effect relationships underlying economic phenomena, understand complex and multifactorial socio-economic patterns and technological development trends, and critically assess the economic, technological, and social benefits and risks associated with innovation in the management of innovation projects and products. In this capacity, they serve as integrators across the humanities and technology, science and industry, technology and society, and engineering and management.

Such professionals require a strong foundation in a broad range of disciplines, including mathematics and engineering and technology (advanced mathematics, systems theory, cyber-physical systems, etc.); natural sciences (economic geography, ecology); economics and management (economics, management, marketing, decision theory, etc.); and the humanities and social sciences (sociology, philosophy of science and technology, law, and foreign languages).

Innovation studies form a core, structuring element of the programme. Key disciplines in this area include Innovation Studies, Corporate Innovation Management, Innovation Engineering, and Futures and Foresight, among others.
Particular emphasis is placed on developing students’ modes of thinking—including systems thinking, critical thinking, and entrepreneurial thinking—as well as personal and interpersonal capabilities (self-skills and soft skills). These include leadership, self-organization, continuous self-development and personal effectiveness, responsibility, teamwork, communication and intercultural competence, and creativity.

A Unique Practice-Oriented Approach

The distinctiveness of the Technology Innovation Management educational programme lies in its high degree of adaptability to the realities of innovation-driven industries and high-tech businesses. The programme is based on the practical expertise of faculty members with extensive industry experience and provides students with concrete tools and up-to-date methods for managing innovation projects and products. It is delivered in close collaboration with the industry partners of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The programme incorporates the School’s own methodology for supporting and developing students’ entrepreneurial and project initiatives throughout the educational process. Developed and successfully applied by the School over many years, this methodology guides students from idea generation to market launch or implementation, both in corporate settings and in independent entrepreneurial ventures.

A system of integrated, longitudinal seminars enables students to progressively apply, develop, and consolidate the knowledge and skills acquired in individual courses. These seminars follow a coherent progression throughout the programme, helping students achieve tangible practical outcomes at the end of each academic year and prepare for the defence of their final graduation project.
Combined with the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme, the seminars complement and reinforce the programme’s research component, creating an integrated learning environment that connects academic knowledge with practical innovation and project work.

Graduates of the programme can pursue careers in such professional areas as innovation engineering and technology entrepreneurship. They can successfully work as specialists and managers of small engineering teams engaged in innovation projects and product development; specialists in innovation units of public- and private-sector companies; innovation offices and transformation offices; engineering centres; corporate accelerators; technology parks; innovation infrastructure organizations (venture capital funds and innovation support funds, incubators, science and technology centres, etc.); consulting organizations; technology commercialization and transfer units at research institutes and universities; and units of executive authorities responsible for innovation development. Graduates may also establish their own innovation-driven businesses (start-ups).

Graduates may also pursue professional activities in other fields and/or areas of professional activity, provided that their level of education and acquired competencies meet the relevant qualification requirements.

Types of Professional Tasks:

1. Проектный.

2. Организационно-управленческий.

3. Производственно-технологический.

4. Экспертно-аналитический.

5. Научно-исследовательский.

6. Научно-инновационный.

Professional Competencies:

The structure of the educational programme complies with the HSE Educational Standard and includes mandatory components as well as elective modules that allow students to build an individual educational pathway.

Professional Module (Major) is the core module responsible for developing professional competencies in technology innovation management. Its distinctive feature is the combination of mandatory and elective components.

The mandatory component provides fundamental training and includes key courses such as:

• Higher Mathematics;
• Concepts of Modern Natural Science;
• Economics and Statistics;
• Economic Geography;
• Fundamentals of Systems Engineering;
• Cyber-Physical Systems;
• Methodology of Scientific Researches;
• Corporate Innovation;
• Investments and Finance in Innovation;
• Production Systems and Operational Efficiency;
• Discrete Mathematics;
• Artificial Intelligence for Solving Engineering Problems;
• Innovation Project and Product Management;
• Intellectual Property Management and Commercialization of R&D Results;
• Communication, Leadership and Personal Effectiveness;
• Basis of Modern Management;
• Finance and Accounting;
• Fundamentals of Strategic Management;
• Fundamentals of Innovation Studies.

The elective component allows students to complement the courses in the mandatory component and expand their understanding of innovation-specific issues through the study of particular economic sectors. It includes:

• Control Systems Dataware;
• Foundations of Sociology;
• Theory of Inventive Problem Solving;
• Fundamentals of Business Process Analysis and Modeling;
• Technologies for Working with the Future;
• Decision-Making;
• Human Resource and Team Management.

The elective component also includes a choice of courses aimed at developing specialized approaches to the implementation of innovation projects and products:

• Basics of Prototyping, UX/UI / Design Thinking;
• Innovations in the Oil and Gas Industry / Industrial Innovations;
• Ecology and Sustainable Development / Commercialization of Biomedical Technology Projects.

Practical Module (Practice) includes a term paper, industrial and pre-graduation internships, as well as an applied project aimed at developing students’ professional project-based skills with the participation of representatives of the programme’s business partners.

General Education Module is aimed at developing students’ personal and civic qualities, broadening their horizons, and fostering critical thinking. It includes the following courses:

• Safe Living Basics;
• Russian History;
• Foundations of Russian Statehood;
• Legal Literacy;
• Philosophy;
• Physical Training.

Additional Module (Minor) is an elective module consisting of four courses that allows students to acquire competencies in an adjacent field of knowledge. Students choose their Minor independently from the university-wide pool. This provides an opportunity to complement their primary specialization with knowledge in related fields.

Language and Communication Module develops students’ professional communication skills in Russian and a foreign language (English). Its implementation prepares graduates for work in international projects and the global business environment.

The mandatory component of the module includes the following examinations

• Independent English Exam;
• Independent Russian Exam (for foreighn students);
• English Language Integrative Exam;
• Project Proposal.

Data Culture Module supports students in mastering modern technologies in the field of Data Science and developing foundational digital competencies.

The mandatory component of the module includes the following courses and corresponding examinations:

• Digital Literacy and Independent AI Literacy Test;
• Introduction into Python and Independent Algorithmic Thinking and Programming Test. Intermediate;
• Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Generative Models and Data Science, AI and Generative Models Independent Test. Intermediate.

State Final Attestation (SFA) Module includes the Presenting of Graduation Thesis and assesses the level of learning outcomes achieved by students upon completion of the educational programme.

This degree programme of HSE University is adapted for students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. There is a specially designed Physical Education course available for such students (Syllabus of the adapted Physical Education course). Special assistive technology and teaching aids are used for collective and individual learning of students with SEN and disabilities. The specific adaptive features of the programme are listed in each subject's full syllabus and are available to students through the online Learning Management System.

All documents of the degree programme are stored electronically on this website. Curricula, calendar plans, and syllabi are developed and approved electronically in corporate information systems. Their current versions are automatically published on the website of the degree programme. Up-to-date teaching and learning guides, assessment tools, and other relevant documents are stored on the website of the degree programme in accordance with the local regulatory acts of HSE University.

I hereby confirm that the degree programme documents posted on this website are fully up-to-date.

Vice Rector Sergey Yu. Roshchin

Summary of Degree Programme 'Technology Innovation Management'