Certificate award ceremony for I-Week 2025 participants held at GSB

On May 19, the International Exchange Center hosted a formal meeting with participants of International Week (I-Week), which took place at the University of Antwerp from March 24 to 28, 2025. This year, the event brought together 559 students from 27 partner universities across six continents. The GSB student delegation was led by Ekaterina Ivanova, Associate Professor at the Department of Strategic and International Management of the HSE Graduate School of Business.

For the HSE Graduate School of Business, this I-Week marked a new milestone: 11 students participated in person—the largest offline delegation from GSB in five years of the school’s involvement in the project. Another 11 students joined online, taking part in lectures, discussions, and project work remotely.

Ivan Prostakov, Deputy Director for International Cooperation and Academic Supervisor of the International Management program, congratulated the students on completing the program and personally awarded them named certificates. He thanked the participants for their engagement and noted that this was already the fifth I-Week for GSB, with student interest in the topic of sustainable development growing each year.

Andrey Semenov, Bachelor in Business Administration

The program included lectures by leading European companies, but what stood out most for me was the interdisciplinary day. Professors from different departments of the University of Antwerp gave talks on a single topic — it was fascinating to hear how each of them approached the issue from their academic perspective.

Anastasia Pakhomova, Bachelor in Business Administration

I really enjoyed listening to the professors and taking part in interactive lectures. It was also great to connect with students from different countries — I met new friends from Chile, Belgium, Turkey, and more. We talked both during the sessions and informally, sharing insights about our cultures. Overall, the I-Week was a rich and productive experience!

Aleksander Vorobyov, Master in Marketing: digital technologies and marketing communications

I liked how well-balanced the program was. We had academic sessions, free time, and the chance to exchange ideas with students from related fields in other countries. The variety of activities helped keep us focused. Plus, we had time to explore Antwerp — sometimes even on guided tours, which made the week even more memorable.

Natalia Panchenko, Master in International Management

When I think of sustainable development, I primarily think of people. I-Week reinforced that idea for me — it’s all about interaction, open dialogue, and respect. What I really appreciated was the shared sense of seriousness among all participants, regardless of country, experience, or age. It wasn’t just a box-ticking exercise — it was a meaningful discussion that matters not just to us, but to everyone.

Congratulations to all participants — you did a fantastic job!
A detailed report on the event and more student testimonials can be found here.