Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A new department, "Digital Management," has been established at RUDN University's Graduate School of Management. Its key feature is the launch of a bachelor's degree program, "Development of Applied Business Solutions. Business Informatics," aimed at training specialists capable of designing companies' digital transformations.
Shortage of specialists
"Our new program is a synthesis of management, analytics, and technology. We're training not just IT specialists, but business solution architects who can speak the same language as technologists and top managers. Graduates will be able to not only propose digital ideas but also independently create working prototypes of business applications," says Anna Ostrovskaya, Director of the Graduate School of Management at RUDN University.
According to Anna Alexandrovna, the market today is experiencing a shortage of specialists at the intersection of business and IT—those who understand company strategy, numbers, and technology simultaneously. Businesses aren't content with simply "good programmers" or "classical economists": they need people who can translate the language of business into the language of IT systems and design solution architectures that support the company's goals, not just "beautiful technology."
"Companies are undergoing digital transformation, massively implementing CRM, ERP, and BI systems, and creating their own platforms and ecosystems. An architectural error or an incorrectly defined task costs developers millions of rubles and wasted time. Therefore, business solution architects and business analysts are currently among the most sought-after categories: they are readily shared between departments, they are invited to join product teams, and there is a queue of projects waiting for them. Graduates in Business Informatics fill this gap: they know how to design an enterprise's IT landscape, model and optimize business processes, and manage digital projects, not just write code," says Anna Ostrovskaya.
The HSE's key partners in the "Development of Applied Business Solutions" program are 1C and GreenAtom (Rosatom State Corporation). Together, they are developing modules on business analytics, design, and implementation of corporate solutions. As the HSE director notes, the program integrates three key areas: management, analytics, and technology. The management module includes micro- and macroeconomics, strategic and operational management, project management (Agile, Scrum), marketing, and digital transformation. This gives students an understanding of business logic and the ability to speak its language.
The analytical block will teach students how to model and analyze business processes and work with data (databases, SQL, BI tools, Big Data, ETL). Students will be able to translate complex business situations into formal models and justify decisions with data. The program's technological block covers programming, web development, development of solutions on the 1C platform, corporate IT system architecture, and cloud technologies. Students will master the automation of key business functions: sales, logistics, financial accounting, and HR management.
Upon graduation, graduates will acquire a comprehensive set of competencies: they will be able to analyze business processes, design a solution, justify it economically, and implement a prototype, while simultaneously explaining the technology to both the business and the IT team.
"Opening the department and launching the program is just the first step. The development plan is to develop a complete ecosystem for training specialists in digital transformation: from undergraduate to senior management programs. A master's program in digital management and business solutions architecture (e-commerce) is planned and already partially implemented in collaboration with Wildberries University. Furthermore, RUDN University already offers master's programs in digital management, business analytics, and digital enterprise management, as well as joint programs with industry partners, such as the Cosmos Hotel Group in the hospitality industry," says Anna Ostrovskaya.
Practice from the first days
First-year students in the "Development of Applied Business Solutions. Business Informatics" program began working on projects in data analysis, business process optimization, and digital solution prototyping from their first days of study. They presented their first projects at the department's grand opening.
"Our project is about creating a professional student society, a team of like-minded individuals with whom we will develop and move forward together. We've developed the society's structure, a member development program, a system of events and workshops, and plans for collaboration with partner companies. This gives us practice not only in project and organizational management but also in developing practical solutions," says Karolina Rozinova, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Management (HSMU), majoring in Business Informatics.
"Our project is aimed at developing branded merchandise for the department. We're solving three problems simultaneously. First, the economics: we're studying demand, calculating costs, prices, and margins. Second, the design: we're working on the graphic design of the logo and layouts. And most importantly, we're creating a web platform for ordering and inventory management, where students can purchase merchandise, and administrators can track orders and inventory. We're using HTML/CSS, JavaScript, a REST API, and a database," says Makar Kukute, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Management, majoring in Business Informatics.
"Our project is dedicated to creating a digital campus. We're addressing the fragmentation of digital services at the university. The goal is to create a unified ecosystem: a mobile app for students and faculty, a schedule management system, integration with the LMS, and attendance analytics. In practice, this is a real-world challenge for RUDN University, and it will be implemented. We're using a microservices architecture, AWS cloud services, and a mobile app built on React Native," says Dmitry Zhestkov, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Management, majoring in Business Informatics.
According to first-year students, the most challenging part of working on projects was setting the task correctly. Data issues also arose. For example, in a project involving developing branded products, the students had to manually collect information about products, sizes, and prices—and this took a significant amount of time. The third challenge the students cited was team communication, as initially there was confusion about responsibilities and deadlines.
Thoughts about the future
The guys shared why they chose this particular field of study.
"It perfectly aligns with our desire to create technologies that bring concrete benefits to businesses. It's exciting to be not just a developer, but a specialist who understands the logic of business processes—from finance to logistics—and can translate real-world company challenges into effective software solutions," says Anastasia Gundyreva, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Management, majoring in Business Informatics.
As for their post-graduation plans, some students envision themselves working for a large corporation—business analysts or architects designing IT solutions for large companies like 1C, major industrial enterprises, and banks. They expect stability, a good salary, and the opportunity to manage projects. Others are drawn to startups—they want to be part of small teams where they can quickly influence everything and move faster. Some are even considering launching their own project. Still others consider freelancing. But for now, they have several years of study ahead of them, which will be filled with practical experience and work on a wide variety of cases. Students say they are interested in areas such as retail and e-commerce, medicine, education, and the public sector.
"The main thing is that we want to be useful in those industries where digital transformation is the slowest and where we, as young professionals, have the most opportunities to make a difference. The program allows us to do this because it teaches us how business works," says Bazhen Mikhailovsky, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Management, majoring in Business Informatics.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
