HSE GSB and Alfa-Bank Host Summer School for Chinese Students
The international summer school Digital Product Management, a joint educational project by the HSE Graduate School of Business (HSE GSB) and Alfa-Bank, brought together over 30 students from leading Chinese universities.
Throughout the week, participants explored key trends in the digital economy, mastered product management and design thinking tools, and took part in the development of real-world service solutions. The academic track included lectures by professors from HSE GSB on the Russian economy, Russian-Chinese business relations, digital transformation, IT trends for 2025, specifics of digital product management, as well as workshops from Alfa-Bank experts—leaders in fintech and artificial intelligence.
The academic block was complemented by practical work. This part of the programme began with a two-day design sprint at Alfa-Bank’s research centre, where students worked on creating digital services for Chinese nationals in Russia. The teams conducted user interviews, went through the stages of ideation, prototyping, and testing. Afterwards, each team continued to develop their prototypes on the business school campus, creating financial justifications and considering other aspects of managing a digital product.
At the final stage, each team presented their project to an expert panel. All participants successfully completed the tasks and received certificates from HSE and Alfa-Bank for completing the programme.
‘The summer school has become not just an educational project but a space for co-creation and intercultural dialogue. We have seen Chinese students immerse themselves in the Russian business environment with great enthusiasm, quickly grasping new tools, and proposing unconventional solutions. This proves that global education has no boundaries,’ noted Ivan Prostakov, Deputy Director of the HSE Graduate School of Business.
‘The development of innovative technologies requires a constant exchange of ideas and experience between countries. We see great potential for cooperation between Russian and Chinese specialists in digital product development. The summer school participants showed a high level of preparation and the desire to implement cutting-edge technologies. I am confident that this project will lay the foundation for many successful initiatives across various areas of digitalization,’ emphasised Marat Ismagulov, Member of the Management Board and HR Director at Alfa-Bank.
The educational programme was enriched with a cultural component, during which students took a guided tour of Moscow, explored the capital’s architecture and metro, visited Red Square, the Izmailovo Kremlin, and other notable landmarks. Participants praised not only the academic depth of the programme but also the opportunity to experience modern Moscow as a vibrant international metropolis.
Chinese participants were unanimous in their positive feedback about the programme.
‘A number of IT fields are well developed in China, but the Russian market is very different from ours. At the beginning of the programme, I wanted to learn more about the Russian economy and consumer behaviour. What attracted me were the organisers who are one of the leading Russian business schools—HSE GSB—and one of the top fintech companies—Alfa-Bank. Thanks to this summer school, we gained valuable insights into the thought process of Russian entrepreneurs and how innovations are developed in Russia. The entire programme was exactly what I had hoped for,’ shared Zulei Mu, a student at Tongji University.
‘I already miss Moscow… I studied applied mathematics in Russia before returning to China, and now I’m pursuing a PhD in mathematics. When I heard about the summer school in Moscow, I immediately knew it was a unique chance to step outside of the academic sphere and into the real business world. It was an amazing opportunity to engage with a team from the largest private bank, as well as attend lectures from professors at a leading business school. We all received intensive training and valuable experience as we worked on our own digital product. It was my first deep dive into business practice and I was lucky enough to be part of a project that combined both academic and practical elements. And of course, I’ll never forget our excursions around Moscow—I felt like I had come back to my second home and now that the programme has ended, I already miss it,’ said Rui Tang from East China Normal University.
The international partnership of the HSE Graduate School of Business with top global universities and business schools continues to grow. The roadmap includes both short-term educational projects and long-term student exchanges throughout the academic year, as well as off-site modules for MBA students. For example, a recent off-site summer module for the MBA programme was held in Shanghai at Fudan University, one of Asia’s top business education centres.
The HSE GSB x Alfa-Bank Digital Product Management Summer School marks another step in strengthening educational ties between Russia and China. Organisers are confident that such joint initiatives not only foster knowledge and experience exchange, but also establish strong business and cultural connections that will continue to thrive in the future.
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