Basic concepts of the «International Business» Master program

The «International Business» master program is implemented within the framework of the newly established educational and research partnership between the School of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, USA, with the help and direct participation of the Fletcher professors. The Fletcher School’s MIB program serves as a model for the “International Business” master program at HSE, adding its rich experience in training specialists in international business to the unique opportunities offered by the Higher School of Economics.

The international practice distinguishes two main approaches in teaching international business and two varieties of degree programs and diplomas accordingly:

1. IMBA (International MBA). This program allows students to gain skills traditionally acquired through a business degree program in addition to the knowledge necessary for working in a global and regional business environment (e.g. IMBA Moore School, SC, USA; University of Cambridge, UK; George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; New York University, NY, USA; University of Memphis, TN, USA; Brandeis University, MA, USA; McGill University, Canada and some others). This approach is represented by the MBA programs with specialization or concentration in international business that focuses on both traditional managerial disciplines and their equivalents in a global context.

2. MIB (Master of International Business). This program combines traditional business skills with a depth of knowledge in international affairs (e.g. Fletcher School, Tufts University, MA, USA; MIB Moore School, SC, USA; International University in Geneva, Switzerland; Manchester Business School, UK; MIB Georgia State, GA, USA; University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; University of Colorado at Denver, CO, USA, Florida International University, FL, USA and some others). These programs focus on the interaction and confluence of the political, economic and cultural aspects of international business. From minute one the students submerge in studying the disciplines directly related to international business. The MIB programs combine serious training in basic business disciplines as well as an in-depth and diversified knowledge of the global business environment. The programs also require foreign language proficiency and study abroad or international internships.

Unlike the specialized MIB programs, MBA programs with specialization or concentration in international business are usually designed for students with some professional experience. However, neither of the programs imposes strict requirements regarding bachelor degree majors.

Many international universities have recently shown a tendency to introduce more intensive programs in the international business field, for both IMBA and MIB, with program lengths reduced to 12-18 months.

The School of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE is a unique educational cluster that combines economic and political sciences with linguistics and possesses great educational and scientific potential. The MIB model (Master of International Business) is more preferable for The School of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE. This model can be successfully implemented in the master program of a new format within the Master in Management degree 080200.68.

Besides, having all the necessary ideological and intellectual capacities for realizing such a program, the School of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE may represent a significant interest as a potential academic and scientific partner for similar programs in international business at the leading international universities.

Program goals

The International Business program is developed as an innovative educational product that has no match in the Russian higher education system.

The interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum combines traditional business skills with a depth of knowledge in international affairs.Today’s dynamic global economy and political context mandate not only proactive management but individuals with agile minds and innovative ideas. To succeed in this environment, a traditional business education does not suffice. Today's successful business leaders must possess a unique set of skills and knowledge. The rigorous and interdisciplinary MIB ensures that students are well-equipped to handle both the demands of daily business as well as the unique challenges of working in an international environment.

The keystones to becoming a successful leader include:

gaining knowledge of general managerial disciplines and functional aspects of management in international companies, including strategic management, marketing, operations management, financial management and human resource management;
understanding how companies operate in the complex political, social and cultural context of different business environments;
understanding the interdependence of the political and economic processes of a given country and how these processes influence international companies;
familiarizing with different national interpretations of key political and economic problems in international relations in the modern world;
learning analytical methods of assessing various political and economic risks associated with doing business in a particular region or country;
mastering ways to create a positive company and country image for foreign governments, public and business partners;
familiarizing with business cultures of different countries and negotiation techniques used in various cultures.

Graduates are prepared to step into the positions of leadership in global corporations as well as to work as “country executives” and “country managers” in the headquarters of multinational companies and their foreign affiliates, branches and representative offices.

Graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to work in private and public for –or not-for profit international organizations, including financial and investment groups, trade, industrial and technology companies as well as various research organizations based in different countries. The graduates of this program are:

managers and heads of international departments, their foreign affiliates, branches and representative offices,
experts, managers and consultants for companies operating in the global arena;
government executives and Russian and international specialists developing international projects;
analysts and researchers in the area of international business.

Program benefits and attractiveness

The world is changing rapidly and the dynamic global economy mandates a new generation of business leaders with global thinking and proactive mind. More and more local companies today become dependent on global markets. To succeed in this complex environment, a traditional business education is incomplete. Today's successful business leaders must possess a long-term vision of tomorrow's risks and opportunities in the world market place, essential not only for global companies but also for those aspiring to be so.

The demand for managers, analysts and experts with the knowledge and background in the international field is now at its peak. The aim of the «International Business» program at the School of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE is to train specialists with the necessary skills to enter the global business arena, project development and teamwork experience, decision making abilities and significant competitive advantage on the market.

The lack of such specialists will be especially notable once Russia joins the World Trade Organization. With Russian companies going global and international companies entering the Russian market, the demand for specialists with an international business background will grow even more.

The program is a unique hybrid of a business degree and an international affairs degree. It builds on the model of MIB (Master of International Business). Designed like a dual MBA-international affairs degree, the curriculum combines business courses with international economics and international relations courses. Unlike the standard MBA which is insufficiently international or globalizes functionally oriented curricula, the program views all issues through an international lens and ensures that students not only understand how companies operate, but also the complex context in which they operate.

This unique innovative program is the first of its kind in Russia.

As an example, the international business program of the Higher School of Management at St. Petersburg State University is designed as a typical management program with all functional areas of management examined in the international context. A similar approach is used in the master programs at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Lomonosov Moscow State University, Saint-Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and at the Moscow International Higher Business School (MIRBIS). The international business master program at the Russian Foreign Trade Academy is significantly different from them, however it is also not context-oriented enough.

The curriculum and the core aspects of the «International Business» program at the School of World Economy and International Affairs build on the models of the world's most advanced MIB programs.

Thanks to the synergy of competences in business, political economy, foreign policy, international law, and regional specializations the program gives a competitive advantage to its graduates from Day One.

Some courses are taught by senior executives from global and multinational companies who bring perspectives from the highest levels of international business, which enables students to learn from real-life examples of people who succeeded in establishing their own business and making it global.

The program is designed for motivated students with a strong commitment to a career in international business.

Program placement in the educational concept of the School of World Economy and International Affairs

The «International Business» degree program focuses on two specific fields of study: international business and international affairs. The interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum aims at integrating both fields to explore the influence of international environment on private business. An international company is a complex structure comprising intra-corporate relations on the company level and inter-corporate relations which depend on the political, financial, economic and cultural environment factors. The success of the company on the market is determined by how favorable the environment in which the company operates is. The program enables graduates to master aspects of both intra- and inter-corporate relations.

At the School of World Economy and International Affairs we train specialists in international relations and foreign policy in the context of international business. The confluence of international business with its political, economic, and cultural context has rarely been greater than today. Global management entails not only understanding a company or industry, but also anticipating the shifting political, economic, legal and cultural environments in which companies operate. Success in international business today requires a sharp long-term vision of tomorrow's risks and opportunities in the world market place. The combination of traditional business skills with a depth of knowledge in international law, political economy, foreign policy, and regional specializations offers a competitive advantage to our graduates. This is the unique advantage of the School of World Economy and International Affairs.

«International Business» master program completion requirements

«International Business» master program graduates should acquire the following skills:

General :

ability to fulfill personal and career potential;
ability to form and develop social and business relationships in a foreign or multicultural environment;
ability to acquire new skills independently;
strong leadership and decision-making skills;
decision making under risk or unusual circumstances.

Professional:

Research:

· ability to identify and formulate important scientific problems, process and evaluate the results obtained by national and international scientists in a specific field of study;

· ability to develop a scientific research program and manage its execution, including:

ability to elicit data necessary to fulfill a research task; collect this data from various sources: accountability reports of companies with different ownership types, administrative agencies, newspaper and magazine data bases etc.; analyse and process this data, as well as domestic and international statistics on economic processes and events;
ability to formulate and test scientific hypotheses, select research tools, contemporary technical devices and information technology to process data, analyse results and validate the conclusion;
become familiar with the methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis and modeling and of theoretical and experimental research;

· ability to furnish the research results in the form of an account, article or report;

Managerial and entrepreneurial:

ability to manage international organizations, departments and chains, employee groups (teams) and projects;
ability to handle managerial tasks associated with operations in global markets;
ability to work out international corporate strategies;
knowledge of contemporary methods of managing international corporate finance for solving strategic problems;
ability to create programs of international organizational development and transition and ensure their implementation;
ability to plan and handle international projects and events;
proficiency in modern managerial technologies and ability to develop new managerial practices;
ability to identify and assess new market opportunities, form and evaluate business ideas, develop business plans for new ventures, initiate and realize foreign market entry projects.

Consulting:

· ability to develop programs for working with clients and organize their execution, including:

ability to collect and process data necessary for completing a specific task;
ability to select and use instruments and technologies for data processing, analyse the calculation results and provide recommendations;
knowledge of methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis and modeling, and of theoretical and experimental research;
ability to form and manage teams for consulting projects;
ability to form and manage consulting projects;
ability to present research result reports for the consulting projects.

The «International Business» master program graduates will acquire the following skills, which will offer them a significant competitive advantage on the market, both domestic and global:

synergy of skills in international management, international political science and international economy necessary for working in multinational corporations, state agencies, educational and research institutions;
ability to conduct theoretical and empirical research, knowledge of research methods for individual and collective research in the area of international business and international affairs;
ability to analyse economic and political models of doing business in international markets; understanding the process behind the acceptance of foreign companies by the local markets and ability to provide necessary recommendations;
ability to assess regional political and economic risks associated with foreign investment, analyse the investment climate in a specific region, created by the interaction of local government, private and non-government organizations and determined by local political, social, economic and cultural factors;
knowledge of the existing approaches to dispute resolution in the area of international affairs according to local customs and cultural norms;
ability to successfully manage an international company in a diverse economic, legal and socio-cultural environment;
ability to develop a company internationalization plan and manage its completion; prepare and validate foreign market entry strategies; ability to foresee, plan and handle associated political and non-tariff barriers for entering foreign markets;
ability to lead negotiations and represent the company interests before local governments, regulating authorities, labor unions, business associations and other agents in connection with various political and economic matters; ability to form a positive public image of the company in the eyes of partners, foreign governments and the public.

Master of International Business

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