HSE University–St Petersburg Holds Summer Intensive Course on Finance for Students from Five Countries

The International Summer School at HSE University–St Petersburg included the intensive course 'New Economic Drivers for Company.' International students explored the realm of applied finance through case studies of Russian companies.

Photo courtesy of the Centre for International Education at HSE University–St Petersburg

The summer intensive course covered corporate finance and corporate sustainable development. Professors from the Department of Finance at the HSE University–St Petersburg School of Economics and Management held lectures and practical classes on corporate finance, economic analysis, company value management, designing an efficient risk management strategy, the application of artificial intelligence in business, and other disciplines. The studies ended with the presentation of an investment case. Among the school participants were students from Russia, Armenia, India, China, and Uzbekistan.

Varvara Nazarova

Head of the Department of Finance

In the framework of the course, we prepared the best practices and tracks for forming a financial strategy using the examples of Russian companies. This was the fifth time the school has taken place. It attracts students from various countries, who gain advanced knowledge on corporate finance, regularly communicate with experts, work in teams, and improve their knowledge.

Annually, the course on economics and management is one of the most popular tracks of the International Summer School at HSE University–St Petersburg. International students choose this direction because of HSE University-St Petersburg's high positions in subject-based rankings.

'I really liked the course "New Economic Drivers for Company" because the theory is related to real-life cases from business. The lectures and discussions allowed me to look at how companies adapt to economic changes from a new perspective. I also liked the teamwork and the opportunity to exchange ideas with coursemates,' shared Yujiang Shi, a student from China.

Each day of the intensive course combined theory and tasks based on real data, which allowed the students to master modern analytical tools and put them into practice straightaway.

Elena Yaskevich

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Finance

An understanding of basic accounting and reporting is a good start for further studies of economics, analysing a company's status, and developing your own business. We seamlessly immersed the students in the subject in the 'Sustainable Finance' track. This allowed them to go all the way from the basic principle of double entry to closing a balance sheet and preparing an income and expenses report.

Victor Krakovich

Academic Supervisor of the programme 'International Bachelor's in Business and Economics,' Associate Professor at the Department of Finance

The Summer School was once again a very inspiring event for me. I am especially pleased that this year, there are even more participants. The geographical scope has also expanded, which has made the opportunities for communication and idea exchange especially valuable.

First, we revised the key points of portfolio theory to strengthen the theoretical basis. Then, we moved on to practice: with the help of Python, we uploaded stock prices and conducted a brief data analysis. Such an approach helped the students to see how theoretical models are used in real settings and realise that using financial analysis tools is not that hard for them.

I am sure that the knowledge and skills will not only be useful in university studies and research but will become a solid foundation for further professional activities in business, analytics, and investments.

Nadezhda Osipova

Manager at the Centre for International Education

The Summer School is a wonderful opportunity for international students to get to know the city as well as the university, professors, and their teaching methods. This experience might spark an interest among participants of the course and they may decide to continue their studies at HSE University–St Petersburg in short-term or full-time programmes. For instance, one student from China who took part in the International Summer School last year enrolled in a master's programme at HSE University–St Petersburg. Another student, from Symbiosis International University (our partner), came to us for the second time. In summer 2024, he studied in the track of the School of Economics and Management during HSE University–St Petersburg Student Week. He was very impressed by our expertise in the sphere of economics and management, so this year, he came to study another course by SEM colleagues.

Since 2018, students from various countries have attended the International Summer School at HSE University–St Petersburg. In 2025, the programme gathered 40 students from 16 countries, including China, Vietnam, South Korea, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, Nigeria, Ghana, Ecuador, Italy, and Germany. You can read more about the Summer School here.