During the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I’m a Professional,” Sber University hosted the opening events for the Sber Spring School of Economics in collaboration with the Higher School of Economics, as reported by the bank’s press service.
The central focus of the school is commerce in the digital age: selling through marketplaces, websites, and social networks. Over three days, participants will have the opportunity to develop a complete e-commerce project and present it to Sber’s senior leadership, testing ideas against real-world expectations and standards.
The school’s program blends traditional lectures with hands-on master classes led by senior professionals from Sberbank and prominent e-commerce platforms, along with instructors from the Higher School of Economics. This mix is designed to give students practical insights into how online channels work, from strategy to execution, and how to measure impact in a fast-moving market.
A total of 146 students from 32 regions across Russia arrived for the spring session, underscoring the broad interest in digital commerce and the role of big institutions in nurturing young talent. These participants bring a mix of academic backgrounds and entrepreneurial interests, all of which feed into a shared curiosity about how technology, data, and consumer behavior intersect to drive sales online.
Dmitry Malykh, a senior vice president at Sberbank in charge of B2C Transaction Banking, addressed the attendees. In his remarks, he outlined the career pathways that Sber envisions for the next generation, the challenges these paths may present, and the evolving tracks that the bank is actively developing to support students and young professionals. He highlighted Sber’s initiatives aimed at students and gifted youth, including internships, mentoring, and project-based programs that connect classroom learning with real market opportunities. His talk framed the spring school as a launchpad for practical skills, professional networks, and a clearer view of where a career in digital finance and e-commerce can lead.
Beyond the classroom, the program emphasizes the creation and testing of live projects, peer feedback, and structured mentorship. Participants will work in teams to map out product ideas, marketing strategies, and customer acquisition funnels, then defend their proposals in front of a panel that includes senior executives and platform representatives. This setup mirrors the pressures of real business environments, encouraging fast iteration, data-driven decision making, and clear communication under judgment—skills that are crucial for success in online retail and financial technology sectors.
The collaboration between Sber University and the Higher School of Economics signals a growing convergence between finance and digital commerce. By bringing together academic experts, industry practitioners, and platform partners, the program aims to create a robust learning ecosystem that supports practical experimentation while maintaining rigorous standards of evaluation and accountability. Students gain exposure to advanced concepts in pricing, supply chain logistics, consumer analytics, and omnichannel strategy, all anchored by case studies drawn from current market dynamics.
Participants can expect a final deliverable that reflects a cohesive vision for a scalable e-commerce venture. The defense process will test not only the feasibility of the business idea but also its capacity to attract investment, partnerships, and user engagement in a competitive digital landscape. The experience is designed to be transformative, offering hands-on practice with tools, dashboards, and frameworks that professionals use to monitor performance and drive growth across channels.
Overall, the spring school represents a unique fusion of academic rigor and industry pragmatism. It provides a structured environment where students can translate theoretical knowledge into actionable plans, guided by mentors who bring real-world insights from banking, marketplaces, and social commerce. The event underscores the importance of fostering digital literacy among young people and preparing them for the demands of a rapidly evolving marketplace, where innovation and adaptability determine success as much as technical know-how. The ongoing collaboration between Sber and leading educational institutions signals a commitment to empowering the next generation with the skills, networks, and confidence to thrive in digital economies.
As the program progresses, observers note a growing emphasis on customer-centric design, data privacy, and ethical considerations in online selling. These themes appear consistently throughout lectures and workshops, reinforcing the idea that sustainable e-commerce hinges on trust, transparency, and responsible data use. The spring school thus serves not only as a training ground for entrepreneurial talent but also as a forum for shaping the standards that will influence how digital marketplaces operate in the future, particularly in the Russian market and beyond.