OREANDA-NEWS. July 12, 2012. International Paper Russia is pleased to announce two winners of scholarship covering half of the MBA programme tuition fee at the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO in the upcoming 2012-2013 academic year. The winners of the competition are Igor Ostapenko and Dennis Yudchyts.

The competition for the International Paper scholarship was launched in April, 2012, and was held among young entrepreneurial leaders, who share the ideas of sustainability and values of International Paper. While studying at SKOLKOVO the winners will be involved into the International Paper corporate projects and initiatives, and will also be mentored by Franz J. Marx, President of International Paper Russia.

Commenting on the awards, the President of International Paper Russia Franz J. Marx said: “On behalf of International Paper, I would like to congratulate the winners, who could not be more deserving of this award.  They have already demonstrated many of the attributes needed to become future leaders of Russian and international business, and I am confident that the rigorous training and education they will now get from the SKOLKOVO business school will propel them even closer to that goal.  It’s particularly appropriate for us to be announcing the winners right after the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which was dedicated this year to ‘Leadership That Works.”

“We are glad to support the initiative that we develop together with our partner, International Paper, as we consider it to be a matter of importance to contribute to the growth of well-educated leaders who will make a positive impact on business environment in Russia. We also hope that the SKOLKOVO MBA is to become a substantial platform for the candidates who managed to prove their leadership in the competition and strive to develop it further”, said Andrei Volkov, Dean of the SKOLKOVO business school.

The International Paper Scholarship is a part of a cooperation program between International Paper and the SKOLKOVO business school started on January 27th by signing the Memorandum of understanding. Besides this scholarship, the program entails a series of open lectures and master classes as well as other joint projects devoted to IP’s sustainability initiatives, talent development and other issues which are in line with the values of the company.