HSE Graduate School of Business Launches Master’s Programme with Leading Russian Banks
The HSE Graduate School of Business has launched a new Master’s Programme in Business Analytics and Digital Solutions in Finance, created jointly with Sberbank, Alfa-Bank, VTB, and the Moscow Stock Exchange with the expert support of the Bank of Russia. The programme aims to train specialists capable of not only analysing data, but also using it to develop digital products and making business decisions in the financial sector.
The first admission campaign demonstrated the significant level of interest in the programme, attracting 328 applicants, with competition for corporate-sponsored scholarships reaching 9.4 applicants per place. A total of 35 students with an average score of 93 out of 100 received study grants.
Ruslan Vesterovsky, Senior Vice President and Head of the Wealth Management Business Block at Sber, chairs the programme’s academic council. Heads of key human resources and data management units at Alfa-Bank, VTB, the Moscow Stock Exchange, and the Bank of Russia also joined the council. While the academic council defines the core competencies required for graduates and shapes the curriculum, top managers and leading experts from partner companies conduct masterclasses, deliver lectures, contribute to practical training, and provide real-world business case studies from the financial sector. This collaborative format ensures that financial market demands are directly integrated into the development of curricula, courses, and practical assignments.
Ruslan Vesterovsky
Chairman of the programme’s academic council, Senior Vice President and Head of the Wealth Management Business Block at Sber
‘This master’s programme prepares specialists for an industry in which decision-making processes are fundamentally based on the integration of data science, technology, and finance. We establish an environment that facilitates the convergence of professional expertise and academic ambition. Upon graduation, these specialists in business analysis, product analytics, and data science will integrate into the professional teams of Sber and other corporate entities, speaking our language and tackling the ultimate challenges.’
The curriculum is centred around the sequence of 'data–analytics–managerial decision.' Students are expected not only to master data processing tools but also to learn how to align analytical outcomes with the strategic objectives of financial institutions.
Programme academic supervisor, Associate Professor at the Department of Business Informatics
‘The programme is designed to train specialists capable of translating financial objectives and stakeholder requirements into functional analytical solutions: from defining business problems and metrics to managing data, developing models and business intelligence systems, and deploying analytical solutions. We guide students through the entire lifecycle within the curriculum: from defining a business task and validating data quality to selecting an analytical approach and assessing the impact of the proposed solution. Joint implementation of the programme with financial industry leaders enables the integration of real-world data and case studies from corporate partners into course content and practical training elements.’
During the first year of study, master's students are required to develop an applied project titled 'AI-Based Digital Solutions for Data Analytics.' In the second year, they will prepare their master's theses on topics proposed by partner companies. Students will have the opportunity to work with industry case studies, receive feedback from practitioners, and evaluate their solutions in terms of business viability. For participating companies, the programme offers an opportunity to contribute to training specialists tailored to the actual needs of the financial market.
