The Head of PR at SberUniversity, Marina Bedretdinova, specially for Make Sense shared her expert view on the current landscape of business education.
What skills are in demand today, and what is especially popular in business education?
“At SberUniversity, learners come to us with requests across various domains: finance, digital transformation, leadership, and personal transformation. The main unifying factor for all of them is community and networking. People want to be among peers, learn from one another, and find a ‘significant other.’ This is where the key value of in-person learning lies.”
How do you define the ‘value core’ of an educational product so that it doesn’t get lost among competing programs?
“SberUniversity’s advantage is hidden right in its name. Our educational solutions are largely based on Sber’s experience and expertise. People come to learn how Sber went through its transformation, what was done, how this experience can be applied to other businesses, and which practices can be adopted. Another advantage is our practice-oriented approach to learning: 70% of the process consists of solving cases and working on projects.”
How do you work with an expert to turn their complex expertise into a clear narrative without losing depth?
“It all starts with simple questions: who are you writing for, and why? If there’s no clear answer to these questions, then there’s no point in writing at all. If the answers do exist, then for me the most profound and engaging texts come from conversations with the expert. But it’s important to prepare for these conversations: understand what has already been said on the topic, and during the discussion capture the main ideas and accents. Ask many questions and clarify: ‘Did I even understand this correctly?’ This, by the way, sometimes allows you to look at the issue from a different angle. Then it’s the usual cycle: transcription, writing, deleting, writing, deleting over and over until you end up with a text you’re not ashamed of.”
What sources can you use for inspiration and practical advice in business education podcasts, media, books, etc.?
“First, read and watch everything SberUniversity produces, we truly have a lot of cool, high-quality content created together with our experts. If you’re choosing a program for yourself, naturally follow the social media of leading business schools, as well as the channels of top managers or CEOs who have received business education in Russia or abroad.”
What skills are in demand today, and what is especially popular in business education?
“At SberUniversity, learners come to us with requests across various domains: finance, digital transformation, leadership, and personal transformation. The main unifying factor for all of them is community and networking. People want to be among peers, learn from one another, and find a ‘significant other.’ This is where the key value of in-person learning lies.”
How do you define the ‘value core’ of an educational product so that it doesn’t get lost among competing programs?
“SberUniversity’s advantage is hidden right in its name. Our educational solutions are largely based on Sber’s experience and expertise. People come to learn how Sber went through its transformation, what was done, how this experience can be applied to other businesses, and which practices can be adopted. Another advantage is our practice-oriented approach to learning: 70% of the process consists of solving cases and working on projects.”
How do you work with an expert to turn their complex expertise into a clear narrative without losing depth?
“It all starts with simple questions: who are you writing for, and why? If there’s no clear answer to these questions, then there’s no point in writing at all. If the answers do exist, then for me the most profound and engaging texts come from conversations with the expert. But it’s important to prepare for these conversations: understand what has already been said on the topic, and during the discussion capture the main ideas and accents. Ask many questions and clarify: ‘Did I even understand this correctly?’ This, by the way, sometimes allows you to look at the issue from a different angle. Then it’s the usual cycle: transcription, writing, deleting, writing, deleting over and over until you end up with a text you’re not ashamed of.”
What sources can you use for inspiration and practical advice in business education podcasts, media, books, etc.?
“First, read and watch everything SberUniversity produces, we truly have a lot of cool, high-quality content created together with our experts. If you’re choosing a program for yourself, naturally follow the social media of leading business schools, as well as the channels of top managers or CEOs who have received business education in Russia or abroad.”
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