The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) − two leading Russian technical universities − are launching a joint master's program titled “Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Development.” Leveraging the intersection of science, management, and high-tech start-ups, the program will quickly train highly sought-after managers for knowledge-intensive industries in the burgeoning Russian economy.

The dual-degree offline program uses a network format, with two-thirds of the training provided at MIPT (the lead organization) and one-third at Skoltech. This helps train professionals in basic and applied research who can implement commercially viable technology projects that ensure quick payback and attract strategic investment.

The idea emerged last spring, when students from the MIPT+Skolkovo Department of Technology Entrepreneurship (TechPred) joined Skoltech's Innovation Workshop and Skoltech students took the MIPT course titled “Designing, Launching and Developing a Venture Enterprise”. All of the students reported positive experiences.

“The joint program between MIPT and Skoltech offers students a unique opportunity to earn two degrees from the country's leading technical universities, which are renowned for their excellence in technology entrepreneurship and scientific research. This educational model will help train a new type of workforce capable of scaling innovations into businesses and advancing Russian research and industry,” said MIPT First Vice-Rector Elena Anokhova.

The program founders emphasize that expanding the crash course into a full-fledged master's program will help refine the training of managerial personnel in technology entrepreneurship for the Russian market and government contracts.

“The Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Development program is designed for those who wish to bridge the gap between science and business by developing unique high-tech products. Each student enters the program with their own project or startup, or joins one of MIPT's or Skoltech's partner projects. The program leverages the impressive research and technology base of MIPT and the market-proven business competencies of Skoltech's faculty and mentors to maximize the training of qualified managerial personnel for the Russian high-tech sector,” said Vladimir Sakovich, the CEO of Sk Capital and the head of the MIPT+Skolkovo Department of Technology Entrepreneurship. 

The new program will leverage the strengths of MIPT and Skoltech in technology, science, and business.

“The partnership between Skoltech and MIPT, as well as their new joint master's program in technology innovation and entrepreneurship is more than just a promising educational initiative. It is also an incubator for management personnel and projects in high-tech markets and technological sovereignty. Most alternative educational programs either lack a focus on technology entrepreneurship and offer standard MBA training, or are too academic and far from practical application,” said Professor of the Practice Dmitry Kulish, who heads Skoltech's Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Development program.

Over its nearly 14-year history, the MIPT+Skolkovo Department of Technology Entrepreneurship has developed highly sought-after educational programs for STEM students and seasoned professionals, including managers and entrepreneurs. Access to the student and alumni community significantly expands student opportunities.

The Skoltech Entrepreneurship Center has developed unique competencies in teaching project-based, practice-oriented courses, where students rapidly become immersed in multiple iterations of prototyping and cast development, with minimal distraction from lectures.

Skoltech's part of the program includes unique specialized courses designed to strengthen the students' professional competencies in disciplines, such as “Modern Methods and Algorithms of Generative AI”, “Transformer Architectures in Computer Vision”, and “Neuroimaging and Machine Learning for Biomedicine”, among others.

Students will study the disciplines and practices of both universities, following a personalized curriculum tailored to their project or industry.

Recruitment for the program is now open. Candidates can schedule interviews now. Entrance exams will start at the end of June, and the training will begin in September.

 Find more details and book an interview on https://техпред.рф/skoltech.