ICEF Graduates Celebrated at HSE Cultural Centre

© HSE

The class of 2022 is an extra special one—facing the difficulties of the pandemic, moving to the new campus in Pokrovka, and completing their studies in a difficult geopolitical climate. This year's graduation ceremony was held at HSE University itself, allowing the graduates to celebrate their achievements together with their families, whose support was praised by HSE Rector, Nikita Anisimov, as well as hear praise from other members of the HSE management team.

The ceremony was opened by Sergey Yakovlev, Director of ICEF. In his speech, he noted that this year’s graduation was a special one, as it coincides with ICEF turning twenty-five. The director extended his gratitude to all those who supported the establishment of ICEF and assisted in its further development, especially noting the contribution from Yaroslav Kuzminov, Academic Supervisor at HSE University; Sergey Dubinin, former Chairman of the Central Bank; Alexander Shokhin, HSE University President; as well as Richard Layard and Richard Jackman of the London School of Economics. Sergey Yakovlev also relayed a congratulatory message from Mary Stiasny, Pro-Vice Chancellor, International, Learning and Teaching, University of London.

Over the 25 years of its existence, ICEF has become an established academic institution with bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in economics and finance whose popularity continues to grow. ICEF currently has over 2,600 alumni who have started careers in more than 40 countries around the world.

The class of 2022 includes 172 bachelor’s and 31 master’s degree graduates. Of them, 28 bachelor’s and 11 master’s graduates received honours degrees.

Sergey Yakovlev noted that ICEF graduates have traditionally been highly sought-after job candidates: about 80% of master’s and 40% of bachelor’s degree graduates have landed jobs and are about to start careers at leading industry players: Yandex, Ozon, SBER, Bank of Russia, and others. About 60% of bachelor’s degree graduates are planning to continue their studies in postgraduate programmes at HSE University, which is a popular domestic choice, or abroad at LBS, LSE, Erasmus University, Bocconi University, as well as the University of Washington, Boston University, New York University, and France’s top ranked business schools. 'This is a testament to the fact that the skills and knowledge you have gained here are solid enough to give you a good start,' said Sergey Yakovlev.

'My dear graduates, congratulations on a job well done! This has been an unusual and disruptive year for you,' continued the director of ICEF. 'The COVID pandemic and the geopolitical situation threw the final months of your university careers into chaos, but you succeeded in graduating against all the odds and you are now stronger. Turn obstacles to your advantage and move forward. Congratulations on your graduation and best wishes for your next adventure!'

Joining in the congratulations from the Director of ICEF was HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov. In his speech, the Rector highlighted that this year is also a jubilee for HSE University, which is turning 30. 'Thirty years may not be too long a time, but we have matured during these thirty years. The past few years have been especially challenging for you and your university, and the fact that we withstood them together is what matters,' said Nikita Anisimov. 'What the future holds for all of us depends on what you hold for the future.' In addition to honouring the faculty staff, who have always stayed committed to knowledge sharing, the Rector expressed his sincere gratitude to parents. This graduation ceremony was the first to be attended by graduates’ families. 'I know for sure that without your support, we wouldn’t have the graduates we have—the best graduates,' stressed the Rector.

How the ICEF Bachelor’s Degree Programme changed in 2022:

In March, the University of London suspended its usual format of cooperation with all its authorised centres in Russia.

The programme was renamed from 'HSE and University of London Double-Degree Programme in Economics' to 'International Programme in Economics and Finance'.

Second-, third- and fourth-year students will be able to continue their studies at the University of London, take UoL exams, and be awarded their diploma as individual learners.

First-year students will be able to enrol in the UoL in 2022 as individual learners, provided that they have fully completed the 1st-year courses of the ICEF curriculum.

Once the University of London opens enrolment for individual learners in the 2022–2023 academic year, students will be able to take UoL exams without extra preparation and will be awarded a UoL diploma in addition to their HSE University diploma.

ICEF has, from the very beginning of its existence, enjoyed great support from Mikhail Zadornov, President and Chairman of Otkritie Bank Board and member of HSE Supervisory Council. Expressing his heartfelt congratulations, Mikhail Zadornov noted that the class of 2022 has been through a lot of trials. 'May these hardships be the last of your life. May you always dare to do great things. Keep developing those unique dreams and talents that make you who you are!'

Another contributor to ICEF’s success who came to congratulate the class of 2022 was Vadim Radaev, First Vice Rector of HSE University.

'ICEF is twenty-five, and I must say it has set the bar high for itself all these years,' stressed Vadim Radaev. 'I have said it before and I will say again: ICEF’s programme is the best at HSE University. Things are changing fast around us, but I know you will be able to face new challenges because your university has given you not only knowledge, but also the perseverance to succeed and tackle challenges and deadlines. You have worked through many to get to this day, and today will be only the first of many successful moments for you.'

The bachelor’s degree graduates were awarded their diplomas by Alexander Shokhin, HSE President and the person who negotiated the establishment of ICEF with partners at LSE. 'Twenty-five years ago, on a warm spring day in London, we convinced our colleagues that our project would turn out to be a success. We were not mistaken,' said Alexander Shokhin.

The awarding of HSE University diplomas was followed by the awarding of certificates of appreciation for the best master’s and bachelor’s theses that scored 10 points out of 10. Six graduates were praised for their active contribution to university life. Congratulating them were ICEF Programmes Academic Supervisors Maxim Nikitin and Oleg Zamkov.

The event also celebrated the achievements of ICEF’s most committed faculty members based on student vote results. The first to be awarded his certificate of merit was Alexey Akhmetshin, who wins the majority of votes every year. On stage, Alexey was glad to receive the certificate from his classmate—he and Nikita Anisimov are graduates of the Moscow State University faculty of mechanics and mathematics. 'A little test to make sure you know the terminology: may your derivative always be positive and your limits infinite,' was Alexey Akhmetshin’s message to the graduates.

Another faculty member with a reputation as a top teacher is Alla Fridman. This was the eleventh time Alla was named the best by student vote and accepted sincere congratulations from her students. 'I am glad to see you all here. Although I know that some of you had to repeat my courses, I also know that they will be appreciated,' said Alla Fridman. In her speech, Alla thanked Professor Amos Witztum for inviting her to ICEF and Oleg Zamkov, her teacher at Moscow State University, for playing a role in her joining it. 'These two people made the ICEF bachelor’s programme what it is,' she said. 'Always act according to your conscience. We taught you economics, true, but one of the most important messages we want you to take away from here is that conscience has no opportunity costs or, if it does, these costs are infinitely high.'

Certificates of merit were also awarded to Daniil Yesaulov, Olesya Kondrakhina, and Yaroslav Lyulko.

Speaking on behalf of class of 2022 master’s degree graduates were Daria Yakovleva and Zhonibek Isomiddinov. Daria, who graduated with honours and whose thesis scored ten points out of ten, has successfully passed the HSE graduate school entrance tests and is awaiting enrolment, while Jonibek, who got accepted as an international student, currently serves as an analyst at Gazprombank. In their parting speech, they thanked their teachers and their parents, the latter 'having to fall asleep to the accompaniment of our talks in Zoom.' 'Many of us have made a lot of good friends here—friends for life, friends who will be there to offer support. I hope that our paths cross again,' said Daria.

Jonibek’s words of gratitude were to the teachers and the office of student and academic services. He thanked the team for their intensive courses and overwhelming support: 'I am grateful to HSE University for the opportunity to study in an environment that is truly international and progressive. Our time here has been a life-changing experience for all of us. At first, studying seemed difficult, but it was thanks to their challenging nature that we managed to improve our abilities and learned to stay concentrated while performing complex tasks and to interact with people. I am sure that the skills and the competencies we gained here will be a great help in our careers and life.'

Speaking on behalf of bachelor’s degree graduates were Ekaterina Ivanushkina and Vladislav Kiryanov. Recipient of an honours degree, Ekaterina is to continue her studies in the University of Wisconsin-Madison PhD Programme in Finance and Economics and Vlad at HSE University.

'Graduation is a big day for all of us. Little did we know four years ago when we were high school graduates about how our lives would change,' said Ekaterina. 'For many of us, this diploma will remain a symbol of the hard work we put in to reach this goal. It is a talisman to help us reach new heights,' continued Vlad.

The graduation ceremony concluded with the customary photography session.

Daria Yakovleva, ICEF master’s degree graduate

The day was filled with a pleasant, friendly atmosphere and good wishes coming our way. I really enjoyed talking to my classmates, professors and university management. For me, ICEF is primarily a team of people—the people who have made it what it is today. They see their role as giving skills and knowledge, helping out, guiding students along their learning journey, providing a friendly environment and much more. None of this would ever be possible at ICEF without them. Nor would there be any of the opportunities it offers.

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At ICEF, you find yourself immersed in an international environment. Having students and teachers from abroad is what sets the ICEF master’s programme apart, as is the cosy, even personalised, atmosphere it has created for its rather small community of students. What is more, the people who enrol in ICEF have something to be proud of and share with others both professionally and in general.

Anna and Viktor Yakovlev, parents of Daria Yakovleva

Daria’s choice of degree programme was absolutely her own. We didn’t try to influence her choice or her decision to continue her studies as a post-graduate student.

It wasn’t until she enrolled in ICEF that we learned about its existence. We followed her academic life very closely during these two years. We have been to ICEF and were truly impressed and proud that our daughter is a student there. We think Daria stands a very good chance of landing a competitive job offer also thanks to ICEF’s reputation on the labour market. We hope she will be happy with her future job and be able to make the most daring of her dreams a reality by unfolding her potential.

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We really liked the ceremony. It was perfectly organised, momentous, with heartfelt speeches and hosted by ICEF Director Sergey Yakovlev.

We wish ICEF every success and prosperity, committed teachers and students who care and can make a difference.

Elena Yagafarova, ICEF bachelor’s degree graduate

The past few years have been difficult for the class of 2022, but one thing we definitely feel proud of is being one of the first post-COVID classes to have an on-campus graduation ceremony. I was overwhelmed by a wave of emotions and an incredible special feeling of gratitude. I would like to thank everyone—my teachers, friends and parents—for these four years at ICEF.

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When I look back at these four years, I think about how ICEF helped me grow and has become a big part of my life. Alongside solid academic knowledge, it taught me to be independent, responsible for my actions and use my own judgement. And I have to mention Alla Fridman’s courses, which instilled in me the confidence that I can overcome my challenges by acting patiently, methodically, towards my goal. Those courses helped me build self-confidence.

Thanks to ICEF, I became a better goal setter and achiever. I am now more flexible and adaptable when it comes to problem-solving. And it is largely thanks to ICEF that I managed to successfully pass my international exams after a relatively short preparation period and decide on a place to pursue further studies without feeling underskilled. Wherever life takes me next, I have the courage to move forward. I’m also proud of my honours degree and the high assessment of my thesis by my supervisor, Vincent Fardo, and the committee.

My thinking behind the choice of thesis topic was to do high-quality research I could stay interested in. Inspired by the knowledge gained from Data Science for Economics course, I thought it was my chance to make the most of my chosen topic, which is the association between the social network user’s moods and price/earnings ratio. There was a lot to learn while working on my thesis, including text analysis and dimensions of the data download from social networks. Helping me stay afloat in the sea of ideas was my supervisor, Vincent Fardeau.

There are many teachers I am grateful to for their help and advice. All this has, indeed, led to a successful thesis defence, but I would have had a much more difficult time writing my thesis had it not been for the ability to navigate the information flows and quickly learn new things that gained at ICEF. I don’t think I am that 'one special graduate'. I think we all deserve to be called special, and I would like to congratulate us of all on completing this challenging and exciting page in our lives.

Vlad Kiryanov, ICEF bachelor’s degree graduate

Enrolling in ICEF has been one of the biggest achievements in my life. It was very gratifying to hear the speakers underline the role of families. My parents helped me move from Siberia to Moscow and enrol in the ICEF bachelor’s programme at a reduced tuition fee, although I could study free at the HSE University Faculty of Economic Sciences. My parents were wise to trust my choice.

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I owe my academic success largely to the people who were with me. The supportive atmosphere is what sets ICEF apart from other schools. I stayed in contact with students from every year, learned about others’ experiences and shared my own. ICEF boasts a very friendly community and is like a big family. There hasn’t been a time in my four years here when I was refused help. Here, you find yourself surrounded by motivated people from Russia’s best schools who are interested in moving forward and making plans for what they will do next after graduation. This encourages and stimulates your growth. Compared to the experience at other universities, ICEF seems to give us much more homework, with higher standards and demanding exam schedules, which does stimulate growth.

While studying, I kept telling myself that student life is not just about books and studies. It is also about extracurricular activities and more. I lived in a dormitory and met new people often. One such meeting got me a place on the Student Council. I became its chairman and got deeply involved in advancing its role as an important link between students and university management. By making students’ voices heard, we feel we have a say in the learning process. One example of cooperation was when the Student Council discussed the quality of online exams with the ICEF management. Our goal was to increase student satisfaction by analysing their feedback. Another student body I have joined is ICEF Crew—an event planning and organising team that was launched more than 10 years ago and continues to pass down its experience to each new generation of students.

My role as an active contributor to student life earned me the honour of speaking at the graduation ceremony. Psychologically, it wasn’t easy due to tight deadlines and stage fright, but thanks to the support from my classmate and friend Ekaterina Ivanushkina, I coped.

I've thought a lot about what makes ICEF an incredibly rewarding place. I even discussed it with my classmates. I think it’s mental endurance. ICEF has benefitted me greatly through opportunities for personal growth. Compared to students at other schools, we are better prepared to handle excessive mental loads and are therefore more competitive. Another thing I noted in my speech was contacts, friendships, and meeting new professionals. It was at ICEF that I met the people most important to me. I am very grateful to ICEF for being a community of like-minded people.