OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2012. The Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO announces the lauch of a brand new educational product for the non-commercial sector – "New higher education leaders". The programme is implemented by the SKOLKOVO Education Development Centre by the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The programme goal is to form a new generation of managers in Russian universities. It is assumed that rectors, pro-rectors and other managers of institutions of higher education will participate. For the first time in the post-Sovetic history of the higher education univesities’ “top-managers” will be gathered on one platform in order to exchange experience and design strategic development projects.

The educational course comprises eight full-time modules during which participants are going to analyze the best cases of the university development and the most progressive management practices. At that the programme is based on the project approach: each participant will be engaged in working on a project connected with break-through development of single directions of the higher education in Russia. During intervals between the modules distant work on individual and group projects is stipulated. In the end of the programme the participants are to presents their project to the Ministry of Education and Science representatives.

The expert support will be provided by world famous specialists in university management, prefessors of the best business schools (IMD, INSEAD, CEIBS, IESE, Kellogg School of Management, etc.), practicing managers from the leading universities and representatives of the major business interested in interaction with institutions of higher education. The Ministry of Eduction representatives as well as of other governmental bosieswill be also engaged in the programme.

Heads of institutions of higher education with more than three-year working experience and adequate English knowledge are invited to participate in the programme. Applications for the programme are accepted till October 20: apart from everything candidates are to provide a presentation displaying their position concerning one of the actual issues on education development. The group formed by the expert council will start studying in the beginning of November.

On September 13, at the SKOLKOVO International Advisory Board meeting Dmitry Medvedev, Prime-Minister of the Russian Federation, emphasized the significance of the "New higher education leaders" programme, "The project on 100 state university rectors preparation is really relevant. It is impossible to modernize the higher school without modern managers. The SKOLKOVO business school influence should spread on other spheres connected with th human capital development where modern management is in need. They are health care, social services, sport".

"New higher education leaders is not just raising the level of one’s skill, it’s much more. Our programme will become the place where notions of universities future will be designed. The most significant programme element is project work. It means that the participants are becoming leaders of the key project in the Russian education for upcoming years. The most progressive project will receive the Ministry of Education support and will be presented to the governmental heads of higher levels. In other words the programme participants will become co-artists of the picture of the future and will define their own role in that future", - said Andrei Volkov, Dean of the SKOLKOVO business school.