The SME Forum

Youth Entrepreneurship at Universities: A Focus on Business Associations

02 Jun , 10:00–11:30
Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum
Congress Centre, conference hall D3

The number of entrepreneurs per capita in Russia today lags significantly behind western nations. This state of affairs hinders the country’s ability to compete with the world’s leading economies. What should be done in order to turn the situation around? One possible solution involves bringing the higher education system into the orbit of entrepreneurship, creating an ecosystem to support the development of entrepreneurship at universities in cooperation with the business community. This would include projects and programmes to support careers in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, and an accelerator for business ideas generated by students and educators. A comprehensive approach of this kind would lay the foundation for an economic breakthrough over the next 3–5 years and create the conditions for the emergence of a new breed of entrepreneurs. How can universities build an ecosystem that will nurture entrepreneurs? How can they partner effectively with industry associations of entrepreneurs? What career guidance programmes in entrepreneurship would be most beneficial for students? How can students’ business ideas be developed? What is the best way to promote tech entrepreneurship among students?

Moderator
Eduard Omarov, Vice-President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA

Panellists
Alexander Vedekhin, Deputy Director, Youth Policy Department, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Denis Kovalevich, Co-founder, Shareholder, TechnoSpark Group of Companies (online)
Olga Kokorina, Student, ITMO University
Oleg Makarov, Deputy Head of the Regional Development Department, Skolkovo Foundation
Artur Nikolaev, Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan
Tatyana Seliverstova, Deputy Head, Youth Projects and Programmes Directorate, Russian Youth Association
Olesya Teterina, Deputy Director, Department for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and Competition, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Artur Yusupov, Head, Chairman of the Board, Moi Bizness Association of Entrepreneurship Development Institutes

Front row participants
Inna Gaziyeva, Project Leader, RAISE All-Russian Accelerator of Social Initiatives
Anton Gopka, Dean of the Faculty of Technological Management and Innovation, National Research University ITMO
Alexey Grishchenko, Deputy General Director, Delovaya Sreda (Business Environment)
Alexander Deryabin, Director General, Snail
Veronika Efremova, Rector, Tyumen Industrial University
Tatiana Zhuravleva, Director of the Urban Competence Centre, Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects
Orhan Mamedov, Chairman of the Board, Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Nikolay Solodovnikov, Chairman of the Ulyanovsk Regional Branch, All-Russian Public Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses "OPORA RUSSIA"
Vyacheslav Shoptenko, Director, Institute for Organizational Development and Strategic Initiatives, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

Broadcast