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As usual in autumn, in an ancient building at Sofiyskaya quay in the solemn atmosphere the graduates of the International College of Economics and Finance (ICEF) were given out credential letters of London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), confirming their Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance or in Economics and Management. This year 1st class honours degrees were given to seven ICEF graduates (it’s been the first time since the College was founded seven years ago!). ICEF Director Sergey Yakovlev joked that SU-HSE was a bit stricter, giving only six degrees with excellence on Russian programme.
That’s why ICEF graduates are in great demand. Some of them have begun their careers in the leading Western and Russian companies, others decided to continue their education in the famous world universities: ICEF graduates can be found among MSc or PhD students of the LSE and London Business School, some of them have entered the universities of Oxford, Birmingham, Warwick, Humboldt University (Berlin) and other international educational institutions. This year leading business school INSEAD (Paris, France) has also accepted ICEF graduate. Three 2005 ICEF graduates wishing to continue their studies in the LSE, have been supported by scholarships from the company ”Basic Element” and Perm industrial-financial group. All this shows competitive level of the ICEF SU-HSE double degree programme graduates.
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The graduates in gowns and education caps heard many warm words. Opening the ceremony in a quiet residence with a view of the Kremlin walls, the hospitable host, Her Majesty British Ambassador in Russia Anthony Brenton said that his ”modest house isn’t spacious enough for such big and respected society”, and he “should address to the Prime Minister with request to enlarge this residence or to build another one.” Many true word is spoken in jest: year by year the number of ICEF graduates has been growing. If such rate is kept further, in a couple of years they will really have to leave this little pompous building with dark wooden stairs and queens’ portraits on the walls and pour out onto the neat English lawns. “Your splendid gowns are the result of several years of hard work. Your knowledge and degrees display strong relations between the two countries,” – the Ambassador said and called newly graduated bachelors to become “the agents of English-Russian friendship”. He expressed his eagerness to see the double degree programme graduates – present and future ones – helping to strengthen these relations, and wished “any disagreement and misunderstanding between our countries to go away forever and ever”.
SU-HSE academic supervisor Evgeny Yasin called the young economists to contribute to reduction of the gap between the labour efficiency in Russia and the one of the most industrially developed countries. So he seems to trust in their great potential! Also Evgeny Yasin expressed his hope that ICEF graduates would help their native country to reach the highest educational level in the world and the best of them would come back to the Higher School of Economics and go in for research (together or separately with the posts of ministers or millionaires). The academic advisor didn’t doubt the wish and ability of every graduate to be good ministers and millionaires, but insisted on coming and teaching as professors.
Sergey Yakovlev noticed that it would be fair to say that year by year the best ICEF graduates have stayed to teach in the College.
RAO EES (National energy company) Board of Directors’ member, the ICEF Board of Trustees’ Chairman Sergey Dubinin emphasized that the ICEF SU-HSE and LSE double degree project is now a sharpened tool to build the global educational space which recently has been discussed so much. By the moment almost hundred and a half of ICEF graduates prove it best of all.
The LSE External programme Director Ms Rosie Gosling announced the greetings from Sir Graeme Davis, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London who had been unable to arrive personally. He wrote: “Year by year the connections between LSE and HSE are getting closer and closer, and year by year ICEF graduates make more and more progress. In 2005 the results are really incredible!” He called the graduates to keep in mind that their success had come thanks to efforts of their professors and academic advisors.
ICEF Director Sergey Yakovlev informed the people attended that Andrey Svinarenko, Vice-Minister of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science congratulated the fifth cohort of ICEF graduates and the College staff.
Vice-Minister of the Russian Ministry of Economic development and Trade Andrey Sharonov reminded that Russian economy is still hungry for specialists. He added that statements about overproduction of lawyers and economists do not refer to the qualified specialists with new mentality and without old stereotypes. “You have a wide field before you. But remember that you will have to study during all your life,” – he warned. The graduates have obviously guessed it before, but now they know it for sure…
The Project Director at the LSE Richard Jackman thanked the parents of newly graduated bachelors for their hard effort without which these intelligent, talented and successful children couldn’t be brought up. “One can hardly imagine a better investment, than you have done!” – he said excitedly.
The President of Sberbank and member of the ICEF Board of Trustees Andrey Kazmin congratulated the bachelors: “Autumn has come and it’s time to harvest. The grains seeded by your professors have given fruits. Despite abundance of formulas which you can use now, remember that economics isn’t considered to be a linear discipline! Besides knowledge you’ll need intuition, wish to learn more and sense of wander, which you can feel in this hall”. Looking at the graduates’ dresses, he noticed their resemblance with Harry Potter’s schoolmates. “Magic wand is in your hands,” – Mr. Kazmin said and the most triumphant minute came.
Evgeny Yasin and the Ambassador Anthony Brenton handed in SU-HSE diplomas and LSE credential letters. All this came true to life thanks to great efforts of the double degree programme creators.
