Sberbank and the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA) have unveiled a joint advanced vocational training initiative. The program adapts an accelerator model previously developed for SberStudent participants, expanding it into a formal track designed for students, postgraduates, and researchers connected with SberStudent universities. The announcement came from the press service of Sberbank, underscoring the program’s scale and ambition.
Officials describe it as Russia’s first training path aimed at producing specialists with the “Technological Entrepreneur” qualification. The 18‑month course blends theoretical entrepreneurship foundations with real‑world experience. It draws on materials from the SberStudent accelerator, case studies from Sber leadership, and insights from the RANEPA Institute of Business and Management, complemented by hands‑on work on actual student technology projects guided by veteran startup advisors.
The initiative centers its activities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, leveraging the regional centers that support RANEPA’s focus on technological entrepreneurship. The program is scheduled to reach second‑year students enrolled at the Presidential Academy’s branches in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, and Krasnogorsk, with a broader rollout planned for all academy campuses in the future.
Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Board at Sberbank, highlighted that entrepreneurship demands more than technical skill; it requires social fluency, goal orientation, effective communication, team leadership, personal presentation, and other essential competencies. The program aims to cultivate those abilities alongside technical acumen, enabling participants to explore tech ventures while continuing their studies and to develop their own projects with mentorship support.
A representative for the participating students noted that the program offers a pathway to actively explore a tech enterprise while remaining within the university environment, advising that the mentorship and project work help students make informed career choices toward entrepreneurship. RANEPA Rector Alexei Komissarov emphasized the ongoing digital transformation of higher education and the need for continual market‑relevant development. He described collaboration with industry as a core priority, pointing to a history of joint initiatives between the Presidential Academy and Sberbank. The Rector indicated that the academy would persist in responding to labor market needs, preparing professionals to support Russia’s digital economy and technology sector, and ensuring that education aligns with current industry demands and future growth opportunities.