“The principles of ESG should become one of the priorities in terms of Russian Universities development while the educational sphere support should be an important part of the responsible business for Russian Companies” — claimed the Chairman of the Graduate School of Management St Petersburg University Advisory Board, the special representative of the President of Russia during his visit to the “Mikhailovskaya Dacha” campus.

On June 4, 2021, Sergei Ivanov, the Chairman of the Graduate School of Management ST Petersburg Advisory Board, the special representative of the President of Russia for Environmental Protection, Ecology, and Transport, has visited the “Mikhailovskaya Dacha” campus, revised the dormitories (that are being prepared for the release) and met the students and young professors.

“Nowadays, young people, we must pay tribute to them, consciously choose higher educational institutions, including according to the criterion of compliance with the principles of sustainable development, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance), it means that they choose taking into account how the University is involved in the solving ecological, social and managerial problems. It tells us once more what a responsible generation is going to replace us. GSOM SPbU was one of the first in the country to raise the ESG principles, as they say, “on the shield”, not only declaring them, but also introducing them into scientific, academic and everyday activities. Even the GSOM SPbU campus in Mikhailovskaya Dacha has every right to be called a “green campus”. And for talented ambitious applicants, this is another weighty argument to choose GSOM SPbU for studying".

One of the key priorities of the GSOM SPbU Development Strategy until 2025 is the principles of sustainable development, and “responsible leadership” is among the fundamental values ​​of the Business School. It is planned that the share of disciplines focused on ESG issues in the curricula of basic educational programs will be increased to 15%. Starting from the next academic year, the ESG agenda will become an essential element of the Master in Corporate Finance (MCF) program. More than that, as part of the activities of the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility of GSOM SPbU, headed by a recognized expert in Russia and the world, Professor Yuriy Blagov, the work on scientific and applied research aimed at studying and analyzing the practices of responsible business and developing practical recommendations for companies and the state will be continued.

“When talking about ESG, it is important to remember that the letter S (social priorities), are of the same importance as the other two directions. The development of the education sphere is one of the key priorities for the social development of the entire country. The business school contributes to the sustainable development of Russia both with its daily activities and active position. And special gratitude should be addressed to large Russian companies participating in the Advisory Board of GSOM SPbU: their conscious and disinterested financial assistance, investment of time and effort in the development of the Business School, their responsibility is the best contribution to sustainable development not only nationally, but also internationally. level ", - emphasized Sergei Ivanov.