Denis Konvisarev is studying in the master’s program “International Management” at the HSE Graduate School of Business. In his interview, he shares how studying at HSE GSB helps develop cross-cultural competencies, make friends from all over the world, and combine academic workload with a vibrant extracurricular life. He also talked about his favorite instructors, cases, internships, student club life, and why it is important to be proactive in a master’s program.
About admission
— Tell us a little about yourself.
— Hi! My name is Den Konvisarev, and I am a first-year master’s student in the “International Management” program. Right now, I am not working—I decided to focus on extracurricular activities: for 6 months I was a member of the HSE GSB Student Council, the committee for working with international students, I am also a volunteer in the “I’m In” club and one of the organizers of the student club “Business Clash,” a corporate business game in English in a quiz format for international students. I was also a mentor in the “All-Russian Case Championship for School Students in Economics and Entrepreneurship” from HSE.
However, I completed an internship at VkusVill and wrote my bachelor’s thesis on this company, and I also help my parents in the family business (a small meat retailer).
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Institute of Business and Business Administration of RANEPA in the “International Management” program. In 2023, I went on an exchange program to India for 5 months (Woxsen University, Hyderabad, Telangana state).
— Why did you choose this master’s program?
— I chose this program because I am extremely interested in international mobility (by the way, I went from HSE GSB to the Spring School at NSB Bangalore, India from March 29 to April 9, 2025). I also learned at one of the open days from Ivan Valerievich Prostakov that many international students study in this program. This turned out to be true: in our cohort of 70 people, 38 are foreigners (India, China, Pakistan, Spain, Morocco, Indonesia, Peru, and CIS countries).
I also considered International Management at RANEPA, but since I completed my bachelor’s degree there, I decided to try something new. I have never regretted it—in fact, I like HSE GSB probably twice as much.
I also applied to IIM Ahmedabad and Master’s Union in India, got accepted, but due to sanctions there were problems with payment.
— What expectations did you have before starting your studies, and were they met?
— My expectations were: super strict grading, study overload, fear of expulsion. None of this—thank God!—came true. Studying takes quite a bit of time, but it is possible to combine it with extracurricular activities (“We’re In,” Business Clash, HSE GSB Ambassadorship, Student Council, etc.)
About studying in the program
— Which courses and projects turned out to be the most useful and interesting for you?
— Top 1 for me personally is Corporate Social Responsibility, Prof. Tom Rawlins. It was very interesting and interactive: they talked about ethical aspects of business (in the last class the professor bought a box of tangerines and threw them to people who answered questions correctly and gave feedback on the course. It was, perhaps, unforgettable).
Also IHRM, Prof. Vuchkovich Alla Aleksandrovna. We analyzed various cross-cultural aspects in management using our own (international students’) examples. Hofstede, Erin Meyer cultural map, etc. When the instructor enjoys what they do, as a student you simply want to listen, and all the information sticks almost automatically. It is useful for understanding the specifics of doing business in different countries.
International Economics, Prof. Akoz Kemal (from Turkey). Not a very easy subject, but very useful. Pure advanced economic foundation. Pure hard skills. We didn’t understand one topic, asked the instructor to hold a consultation—he explained the topic to us in Zoom for an hour and twenty minutes in his free time, and I am still grateful to him for that. Similarly, the course Financial Management (Prof. Sobolev V.V.). Very complex economic concepts were explained in a very accessible way. The exam was difficult, yes, but with preparation it was quite doable.
— Were there any difficulties during your studies, and how did you overcome them?
— Initial adaptation (which is especially important for master’s students who are always busy, always working, and not very involved in student activities). What did I do? First, I joined the Student Council, which was extremely helpful for understanding the student culture at HSE GSB and meeting proactive and truly talented people. Second, I joined different student clubs (“I’m In” for volunteering, Tandem meetings, attending events such as Unity Fest, New Year at HSE GSB, Student Night, Extra, etc.). I also organized outings with classmates to bars, clubs, and runs as part of the HSE GSB running club. The opportunities are all there—you just need (and this is really important) to find time between work and study and attend events. And it is more than realistic, as classes are in the evening (from 18:00 to 21:00) and not every day. So everything is possible.
Problems with some administrative issues related to studies. What did I do? I contacted the program manager, Natalia Aksakova, at the dean’s office. As a result, practically all issues were resolved promptly within 2–3 days (thanks also to the general chat of the student group leaders of all HSE GSB programs—there are also many useful contacts and information there), and I also filled out SOPs, which also helps.
— Does studying in the program help you develop the skills necessary for career or business growth?
— Of course. Constant teamwork equals cross-cultural experience. Due to constant presentations, public speaking skills are improved. For exchange programs, your GPA is important (should not be below 7.5) = competitiveness, diligence. Extracurricular activities develop social skills (soft skills). Hard skills are also present, especially thanks to the Financial Management course (Prof. Sobolev Vladimir Vladimirovich) and International Economics (Prof. Akoz Kemal Kivanch).
— Have you participated in scientific research, projects, competitions, case championships, etc.?
— Yes, I was a mentor in the “All-Russian Case Championship for School Students in Economics and Entrepreneurship” from HSE, November 2024. Each mentor had 4–5 teams of 9–11 grade school students, with 3 to 5 people in each team. It was an amazing teaching experience. As mentors, we only guided the working process, explained concepts, and asked leading questions in many calls, but the entire case was solved by the students themselves. After this case championship, I sincerely began to respect our instructors—I truly realized that knowing something and being able to convey it in an understandable form is an art. And it is not at all as simple as it seems when you observe the process from a student’s (desk) point of view.
Also, a classmate from one of the elective subjects (the system where you choose 2 courses) invited me to the laboratory of the Institute of Cognitive Research on Myasnitskaya as a test subject. In short, they studied the effect of alternating current on the volume of working memory. For 5 sessions, they put a helmet with electrodes on me and applied a small electrical current while I took simple memory tests. A very cool experience, I got acquainted with the methodology of scientific research, and I am apparently still alive and well—I liked it.
— How much does the practical component of the program help you?
— Unfortunately, I have not yet done internships within HSE GSB—all ahead! But cases really help, especially the number of group projects. For one of the project assignments in Operations Management, we took my parents’ company, and it is extremely useful to give advice to managers in a real company and to better understand theoretical management concepts in practice (Value stream map, lean production, etc.).
— Have you participated in international academic mobility?
— 11/10. NSB Bangalore, India from March 29 to April 9, 2025. Awesome, I just came back yesterday. It’s impossible to describe—we had a super intensive program, but we visited the university, explored all of Bangalore, visited many temples, had about 5–6 industrial visits, and even spent 2 days exploring the neighboring cultural city of Mysore. Ivan Valerievich Prostakov traveled with us.
Even though I lived in India for 5 months in 2023, these 11 days were just as—if not more—intense.
— What do you like most about studying at the HSE Graduate School of Business?
— The cross-cultural aspect. International instructors (Akoz Kemal from Turkey, Tom Rawlins from Britain) and international students create a very interesting community. I really enjoy it.
The number of mobility programs, especially short-term programs (Winter and Summer Schools).
Extracurricular life is very vibrant: Regina Gareeva’s office, Studteam, many clubs and events, including across HSE (for example, HSE Extra, Student Night, Unity Fest, Career Center, etc.).
.jpg "“I made a whole bunch of friends from India, Morocco, Indonesia. I registered as a sole proprietor, tried selling noodles with my Indonesian friend. With a Moroccan friend, we created our own club at HSE GSB” — interview with Master’s student Denis Konvisarev")
