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Russian to the top of the list

Kingston University's MBA course in Moscow has been named as the best in Russia in a prestigious league table. The programme was ranked first among 30 Russian business schools in a survey of recent graduates conducted by business journal 'Company Secrets'.

Alumni were asked about the quality of teaching, networking opportunities, practical skills and how the course had improved their job prospects and salary. The Kingston programme, now in its 11^th year, is run with Moscow's Academy of the National Economy - one of Russia's best regarded business schools.  

Fragkiskos Filippaios, Kingston's International MBA Course Director, said: "We're delighted that it's graduates themselves who believe that it's a good programme. It's a great endorsement that will help us to attract more students to the course."

Dr Filippaios said students liked having a British degree. "Kingston University has complete responsibility for the programme, so it's like doing a UK degree while living and working in Moscow," he said. "It's not just a programme that gives students academic knowledge; it also helps their personal development." There's was big emphasis on 'soft' skills like presentation, team-building and communication, he said. "While academic knowledge can be learned through text books or lectures, 'soft' skills need to be built gradually and need a lot of assistance to develop." 

Andrey Yaschenko was offered a new job as Managing Director of Russia's biggest furniture company, Mobel and Zeit, after he graduated from the Kingston MBA programme last year. "It's changed my outlook and made me realise that any task can be solved in a good team. It's a fantastic experience which can be useful in work and in life," said Andrey.

Alexey Verbetsky, who graduated last year, said the course provides a combination of academic study and practical business knowledge. Alexey, who is a lecturer on the Kingston MBA course in Moscow as well as working for Russian consulting giant Information Business Systems, said: "For me personally it extended my business knowledge and offered opportunities to meet interesting, bright people from different sectors of the Russian economy - personal contacts are very important in Russia." He added: "It led me to make serious changes in my career. I felt much more self-confident and ready for a more challenging job."   

Kingston was the first British business school to establish a base in Russia when it launched its MBA course in March 1998, at a time when the country was changing into a market economy. Distance learning, video conferencing and face-to-face tuition, primarily with visiting Kingston staff, are used to deliver the course, which is taught and assessed in English. More than 400 students have graduated from the two-year, part-time modular course. Graduation ceremonies take place at the British Embassy in Moscow. Most students are aged around 30 with five or six years work experience in firms ranging from multi-nationals such as BP, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Citibank to small and medium-sized companies, while others have started their own businesses. 

The Kingston MBA programme is also offered in Greece, Cyprus and India.