Alumni Engagement: Enriching the Master’s Program with Experience and Expertise
One of the core strengths of the Master’s Programme in ‘Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy’ is the long-lasting relationship it maintains with the graduates, who continue to contribute to the academic, professional and community life of the programme - as mentors, guest lecturers, partners, and ambassadors of STI expertise around the world. This year three graduates of the programme returned to the classroom in a new role.
Our alumni remain an integral part of the programme’s development, reinforcing ties between current students and the broader professional community. Their willingness to stay connected by sharing their experience, returning as lecturers, and contributing to academic activities is what makes our network vibrant and inspirational.
Maria Nemchenko, a 2019 graduate of the programme, was invited as a guest lecturer to the course on Innovation Management, directed by Dr. Dirk Meissner.
Maria Nemchenko is an experienced results-oriented IT product manager and tech enthusiast in managing e-sales products and designing new digital products and services in automotive to accelerate business growth. She created and launched an e-commerce product - Car Subscription service as a part of Digital sales strategy in Volkswagen Group (Audi Drive, Skoda Smart Drive). Maria also launched a Sharing platform solution for Charging infrastructure (B2C) – Atom Charge Point. She has more than 5 years of leading international cross-functional mobility projects and she managed an international team of 10 employees, strong people and project management skills are proved by Volkswagen FBQ Certificate in 2021. Her professional experience and academic background enrich the learning process and demonstrate how our graduates continue to grow as scholars and practitioners in the field of science, technology and innovation management and policy.
Artem Antoshin and Ruslan Valiev, class of 2022, were invited as guest lecturers to the Seminar of the Mentor “Scientific Research Methods for STI” course led by Dr. Ekaterina Streltsova for the session on “Science & Technology Results for Economic and Social Prosperity.” Their expertise offered students a unique look into real-world applications of STI in both biotechnology and financial innovation.
Artem Antoshin, currently the Director of the Department for Advanced R&D and of the Center for Innovative Collagen Developments at Sechenov University, discussed the implementation of Biotech R&D in Economics. HE particulary talked on how biotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the modern world where science directly translates into economic value. Artem’s lecture explored how ideas from the laboratory evolve into real products - from gene therapy and cell technologies to artificial skin and neural interfaces. He discussed the challenges of implementation, the actors involved, commercialization paths, and why the journey from experiment to market often takes years. The talk illustrated how the medicine of the future is being created today.
Ruslan Valiev, Chief Product Officer at Cross-Border Transfers of T-Bank, started his guest lecture with the question of where does T-Bank’s growth come from: clients, system, research or employees? While people often assume that a great product automatically leads to business success, yet reality shows something different. Ruslan discussed how many widely used products are inconvenient, while promising and useful projects never reach the market. He also examined multiple factors that influence a product’s success and the role of STI in this process. Using the case of T-Bank, Ruslan explained which drivers truly shape sustainable growth and how research, systems, and human capital come together to support strategic development.
Aforesaid alumni engagement reflects the essence of the Master’s Programme – it is a dynamic community where learning does not end at graduation. It helps bridge education, research, and real-world practice, strengthening the programme and inspiring the next generation of STI professionals. Alumni continued participation proves that the impact of our network grows not only through academic excellence, but through collaboration, mentorship, and shared commitment to shaping the future of science, technology and innovation.
