HSE Graduate School of Business students win at NLMK’s RazReshi Case Championship
RazReshi is NLMK Group’s flagship program aimed at supporting and developing young talent. Within the framework of the competition, students from higher and vocational educational institutions work on real business case studies based on NLMK’s operational processes.
After registration, participants received the first case and preparatory materials, including an online course, webinars, a quiz, video lessons from the Case Club NSU, and Q&A sessions with experts. Teams were given up to 20 days to solve the case and prepare a presentation with their results. The best-performing teams advanced to the semifinals, and the strongest among them made it to the finals.
The championship was conducted on an online platform. Participants from leading Russian universities competed for the main prizes: gift certificates for a popular marketplace for each team member, a fast-track to the “Steel Opportunities Academy” internship program at NLMK Group, an invitation to a paid internship (for 3rd-year students and above in relevant fields), and additional points for applying to the HSE GSB Master’s program “Operational Excellence and Production Systems.”
Kirill Vakhnitsky
2nd-year student, “Operational Excellence and Production Systems” program
I first heard about the championship from friends last year and decided to give it a try. This year, I took the initiative to participate. The students from LSTU were on my team last year, and we decided to compete again with the same lineup. Our workflow was as follows: case analysis, brainstorming, and task assignment. We used Agile methodology to overcome challenges, constantly staying in touch and discussing issues as they arose. Being in different cities didn’t stop us — everything was done online.
For future participants of RazReshi, I’d advise keeping in mind that different stages of the competition are judged differently: the first two focus on logic, adherence to the brief, and use of tools, while the final round requires teams to propose the most cost-effective solution. Don’t go for the obvious one — most likely, everyone else will too. Instead, try to predict what others might suggest and clearly explain why your idea stands out.
Alexander Solovyov
1st-year student, “Business Informatics: Digital Enterprise and Information Systems Management” program
I found out about the championship by chance — I didn’t even know it was organized by NLMK. I saw a message in one of the team search chats about joining a case on business process optimization, which is a topic I enjoy. When I met the team, I saw their positivity and drive to win. Our team captain was the one who brought us together.
We worked on the case online, through regular video calls where we brainstormed ideas, shared solutions, and thoughtfully evaluated proposals. If we needed to discard an unviable hypothesis, there was never any negativity. The fact that we were from different universities wasn’t an issue — talent isn’t tied to where you study.
My advice for future RazReshi participants:
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Choose your solution carefully — your initiatives should align with the company's business goals.
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A well-structured financial model with clear justification will show that you approached your solution thoughtfully and will reflect your attention to the first point above.
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A positive vibe within the team, mutual support, and just the right amount of fun will help you both in this case and in life!