The competitive selection process for participation in the Sustainable Development Week 'I-week', which will take place from March 24 to 28, 2025, in Antwerp, Belgium, has begun

The international office is thrilled to announce the competitive selection for participation in international week on sustainability at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, on March 24-28, 2025.

In 2025 Antwer university in Belgium will hold the 12th edition of the sustainable week. And for GSB it will be the 5th ‘I-week’ when our students will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of sustainable development and acquire intercultural communication skills as part of a super-intensive training program. Antwerp University gave 30 places for GSB students to participate in the program in 2025.

The aim of the I-week is to provide an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge on interdisciplinary issues of sustainable development, dive in the global agenda of challenges to humanity in the environment, social development and economic well-being, teach ethical, responsible and critical thinking within the framework of project work, as well as practical application of the acquired knowledge in the form of presentations of final research projects about leaders of responsible business in English together with an international team of participants.

Last year, over 400 students representing 30 countries from all continents took part in the program! This year, the organizers will provide the opportunity to bring together in a hybrid format: online and offline. It is expected that in 2025, the number of students participating in "I-week" will exceed 500 people for the first time!

During the 5 days of intensive training, I-week students will attend interactive lectures, participate in discussions, and workshops, where leading scientists, experts, and company executives will introduce students to best practices in the field of sustainable development. Students in international teams, under the guidance of professors from leading universities in the Global North and Global South, will work on a final group project on sustainable development for real companies. In addition, before the start of I-week, students will take an introductory online course on key concepts of responsible business and sustainable development, cross-cultural communications, and responsible leadership.

To participate in I week you need:

• Submit an application with your portfolio

  1. A motivation letter answering the questions: “Why is"I-week "  a unique opportunity for me?” “What is my contribution to the program?” and “What will participation in the program give me?” - no more than 1 page in English; 

  2. A resume and relevant professional or social achievements in the field of sustainable development, volunteering - diplomas, awards, certificates, photographs) until October 15, 2025  https://gsb.hse.ru/en/iec/polls/963113363.html

• Group interview

  Go through a group interview with a committee consisting of the Russian academic curator of the program Ekaterina Ivanova and I-week manager Olga Spiridonova before October 25, 2024

• Wait for the results and prepare for one of the most unforgettable events of the year!

All stages of the selection for “I-week” are assessed according to the formula: 25% motivation letter, 25% CV + achievements, 50% - interview with the commission.

All GSB students studying in the bachelor's (1-4 years), master's (1-2 years) and postgraduate (1-3 years) programs are allowed to participate!

 

P.S. Please note that in 2025 “I-week” coincides with the exam week in the third module!

 

Feedback from participants of “I-week” in 2024

Anastasia Panfilova

First year student of the GSB Master’s programme "Sustainable Business Management"

"I-Week brought me a tremendous experience, new friends and a lot of good memories. After the classes we met with the guys in the bar and shared impressions, experiences, difficulties and stories about how life in our countries is organised. I think that all this is no less important than the study itself, as this way you broaden your horizons and at the same time familiarise foreigners with your culture and values. It is worth mentioning that during the whole trip I never felt any negative or prejudiced attitude. All the time I felt safe and asked the locals if I needed their help. I would like to advise all students to follow the GSB news and participate in such programmes to develop their professional and soft skills, to get acquainted with international experience, and to enrich their cross-cultural communication experience".

Natalia Smirnova

1st year student of the GSB Master’s programme "Marketing: digital technologies and marketing communications"

"Impressions from the trip to I-Week are extremely positive, because I managed to combine the days before/after the conference with travelling around Europe, and during the training I managed to communicate with people from Belgium, Germany, China, Turkey and other countries. One of the outcomes is that our world is worth protecting, not only from the point of view of ecology, but also to watch and study it. There are friends in every corner of the planet".

Danila Spiridonov

1st year student of the GSB Master’s programme "International Management"

"In general, participation in I-Week and the trip to Belgium left only positive impressions and emotions. In terms of teaching, I was first of all impressed by the high level of organisation and the quality of presentations. And now I have a clear understanding of what sustainable development is, why it is important, why it is talked about and what needs to be done today to ensure a bright future".

Sofia Ivanova

1st year student of the GSB Master’s programme "Sustainable Business Management"

"This trip will be remembered forever: great experience, useful classes, interesting teachers and interested students, thoughtful organisation. Be sure to use this opportunity and keep a diary of the trip - you will reread it with a smile".

Vladimir

Student of the GSB Master's programme "Strategic Management and Consulting"

"It was an unforgettable event that left lasting impressions and added new knowledge. As many other participants, I joined the programme remotely - in an online format. My participation in I-Week  and the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world enriched me. I gained new experiences that allowed me to broaden my horizons and see the world from a different perspective. I-Week  helped me realise that borders between countries are not an obstacle to cooperation and knowledge sharing."

Nadezhda Evstratova

4th year Bachelor's student of the GSB "Business Informatics programme"

"There were many speakers holding top positions in companies from a wide range of industries. I really enjoyed working with my team on a group project, everyone was engaged. Even though we only met online, we managed to create a safe space, work very efficiently and enjoy our multicultural experience."

Dalila Lupeta

1st year of the "Managing Low Carbon Development" HSE-University Master's programme at the Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies

"This year I was lucky enough to participate in I-Week online, which was a very valuable new experience. All the sessions and assignments that participants see offline in Antwerp are accessed through the university's user-friendly platforms, so the quality of the learning experience doesn't drop. Although I will never forget the experience gained from the sessions and discussions of the talks by leading sustainability experts, the most valuable lesson of I-week for me was working together with people from all over the world: it allowed me to learn more about the world, and even the online format helped me to improve my cross-cultural competences more."

Alexandra Volkova

1st year student of the GSB Master’s programme "International Management"

"The thing I liked most about the I-week was the teamwork with international students. It was nice to communicate with guys from different backgrounds and learn something new from them, such as optimism and striving for excellence. I participated in I-week online, but communication with the team did not suffer. I can say that in the end I'm even glad I did: it was free, I didn't have to worry about accommodation (the University of Antwerp doesn't provide dormitories), I could allocate my time efficiently (especially since I have a job in addition to my main studies). Also, the I-week coincided with the pre-session week, when I had a lot of deadlines for my studies, and I'm not sure I would have been able to devote enough time to them if I had gone to Antwerp in person."