Society

HSE alumna Polina Tonkikh is someone who was directly involve in one of the greatest moments in Russia’s history – the country’s accession to the World Trade Organisation. In the latest edition of Success Builder, Polina talks about what it’s like representing Russia at the WTO and how the country’s image has changed in the international arena.

In 2010, a tourism cluster appeared in the North Caucasus that signified a new and prospective field for the Russian travel industry. Below, Northern Caucasus Resorts CEO Oleg Gorchev talks about why one might want to vacation in Chechnya, what his children think about his job, and what it was like to be part of the first class to graduate from the Higher School of Economics.

Cafes and restaurants in Russia currently find themselves in a very competitive environment, which is why a lot of new formats and ideas arise. In the latest edition of Success Builder, the founders of Jeffrey’s Coffee, Alexey Mironov and Alexey Karanyuk, discuss what makes a ‘good’ café, why it’s important to go see what competitors are up to, and what the prime costs of a double espresso are.

Over the last five years, hummus and falafel have made their way onto the menu of most restaurants in the centre of Moscow, and food trucks have had much better luck selling Middle Eastern dishes than warm Russian pirogies. Daniil Goldman, who is a graduate of the Higher School of Economics and the founder of Mitzva Bar, sat down with Success Builder to talk about what’s fashionable in Israeli culture, why intuition is important in business, and how a bar in Moscow differs from a bar in New York.

TED is a conference focused on spreading unique and groundbreaking ideas. The lecture topics are varied, including science, art, design, politics, culture, business, global issues, technology, and entertainment. The TEDx project helps people in different countries, cities, universities and communities organize independent conferences in a TED style. Anastasia Polozova, graduate of the programme in Global Business has initiated the organization of a similar event in Nizhny Novgorod.  

A career in the aviation industry is something many people dream about, but to become a manager in the field, you have to be disciplined and fearless. No one understands this better than HSE alumna Maria Sharavina, who is currently the head of the press service at Vnukovo Airport. In the latest edition of Success Builder, Maria tells us why Vnukovo employees do not need motivation, how to resolve PR issues 24 hours a day, how to remember all business jet models, and how to make friends with the media.

HSE graduate Ilya Flaks’ company Fibrum began selling the Fibrum Pro virtual reality headset and its accompanying software in 2015, and both have since become well known throughout the world. In the latest edition of Success Builder, Ilya talks about how one can make tens of thousands of dollars while still a student, why he never ‘worked for the man,’ and whether virtual reality is really dangerous.

In the latest edition of Success Builder, HSE graduate and the founder of the anti-café Kocherga, Pion Gaibaryan, talks about how to build an ideological business and create a comfortable environment for ‘nerds.’ She also discusses why philosophy cannot be just a kitchen table conversation and how reading Kurt Gödel under the sun can treat depression.

The Alumni Centre has published a study tracking graduate entrepreneurial activities. The study is ongoing, and any HSE graduate with their own business can participate.

HSE Banking Institute graduate Mikhail Rozin, who is currently a senior vice president at the Russian Regional Development Bank, sat down with Success Builder to discuss what makes education in Russia just as good as in the West, how being a good actor can help you manage a bank, and why a banker became a flutist.