Boris Lodiagin

We extend our sincere thanks to VNU University of Economics and Business (UEB) and the Faculty of Finance and Banking for the invitation and warm reception. It was an honor for the Department of Finance, HSE University – St Petersburg, to deliver an open lecture to your students and colleagues. We deeply value this partnership and look forward to further strengthening our collaboration in teaching and research.

Boris Lodiagin and Olga Alekseeva delivered an open lecture for students and faculty of UEB’s Faculty of Finance and Banking titled “Capital Raising for Businesses in Russia: Lessons for Vietnam.” The session was highly practice-oriented: the speakers walked through real cases from Russian companies and demonstrated how to choose an optimal capital structure for different growth objectives.

With warm thanks to our Brazilian partners at São Paulo State University (UNESP): Prof. Dr. Cleginaldo Pereira de Carvalho, his coordination team, and the UNESP students for their openness, discipline, and high standards throughout the project.

Two months moved in a steady rhythm: short weekly sprints, evening calls across three–four time zones, shared folders for working documents, and clear roadmaps with check-points. Teams aligned data into a common format, agreed on terminology, and recorded decisions — step by step building a single picture everyone could work from.

HSE University–St Petersburg welcomed a delegation from VNU University of Economics and Business (VNU-UEB). The visit took place in the framework of the year of Russian–Vietnamese relations.

In July–August 2025, the Department of Finance at HSE University – Saint Petersburg held the Summer School “Drivers of Corporate Economic Development”, which brought together students and recent graduates in economics, international relations, marketing, business administration, and management from Russia, Armenia, India, China, and Indonesia.

On June 3, the department of finance hosted a lecture titled “Investing in Human Capital,” delivered by Alexander Kleshchyov, a member of the Board of Directors at LMS Investment Company.

On May 13, the Master’s in Finance programme had the pleasure of once again welcoming Anna Logunova — member of the Academic Council and Director for Controlling at Magnit, one of Russia’s largest retail companies. This time, her guest lecture focused on strategic planning and its role in modern corporate governance.

On April 17, students of the Master’s Programme in Finance had a unique opportunity to gain insights into the real-world practice of investment from a seasoned professional. The guest speaker at our mentor’s seminar was Alexander Kleshchev — Managing Director and Board Member of LMS Investment Company, with over 25 years of experience in the financial industry.

On March 17, 2025, HSE University – St. Petersburg hosted the international workshop "AI in Finance". We described how it was held in the article.

On March 17, 2025, HSE University – St. Petersburg hosted the international workshop "AI in Finance", organised by Boris Lodiagin and Olga Alekseeva, faculty members of the Finance Department, with the support of Dr. Varvara V. Nazarova, Head of the Department of Finance and by prof. Deepa Gupta from SSE side. The event was made possible through collaboration with Symbiosis School of Economics (SSE), India, and the invaluable support of Dr. Sharma Manoj, Vice President of HSE – St. Petersburg, and Tatiana A. Lezina, Dean of the St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management.

On March 3, students of the Master in Finance programme at HSE University – St. Petersburg had the opportunity to attend a guest lecture by Alexander Shvarev, CFO of Yandex Autonomous Vehicles, PhD in Economics, MBA, member of the Academic Council of the Master's programme and former Partner at PwC Central and Eastern Europe in Corporate Finance.

On 18 January, the Master's programme ‘Finance’ hosted a guest lecture by Kristjan Markovc (University of Naples Federico II, Ph.D. in Economics), a postgraduate student of the University of Naples. The lecture attracted students interested in corporate finance, monetary policy and current trends in the bond market.

On 22 January, the Master's programme ‘Finance’ hosted a guest lecture by Dmitry Vladimirovich Pankin, one of the most authoritative experts in the field of international finance. The listeners had a unique opportunity to talk to the expert, who has more than 25 years of experience in senior positions in international financial institutions and government agencies.

On December 7, Denis Sobe-Panek, co-owner of Autostels, one of the leaders of the Russian auto parts market, gave a presentation for Master's students.

A case championship “Chocolate factory” took place in Higher School of Economics as part of the Master of Finance programme on 27 November. Students were divided into groups in order to solve real tasks on financial analysis and business evaluation.

The team "CASE ME HARDER," consisting of first-year Master's students — Vsevolod Nikolaev, Ivan Rogov, Alisa Belkova, and Viktoriia Mitropolskaia — won the case championship "Cooperation with the Corporation," organized by HSE in collaboration with Setl Group.

On September 20, 2024, the St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management (SEM), together with the Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore), hosted an international webinar on sustainable finance. The event aimed to bring together experts, faculty, and students from both universities to discuss current issues on the integration of sustainable financial practices into the corporate sector and capital markets.

On October 3-5, 2024, the 11th International Conference on Economics and Management took place at the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU). The event brought together leading experts and scholars from around the world to discuss pressing issues in economics, finance, and management in times of global turmoil.

On September 30, 2024, the first-year students of the Master’s program in Finance participated in an exciting business game that showcased various aspects of the financial world. Organized by the head of the Department of Finance, Professor Varvara Nazarova, and Professor Iya Churakova, the event aimed to introduce students to the diverse roles within finance, preparing them for future career paths.