Abstract:

The Public Company Sberbank of Russia is the largest commercial bank in Russia which is busy not only with its main business, but also with a number of social projects. Novosibirsk State University has been a Sberbank’s partner for several years now, and the partnership is successful. Among the latest projects we highlight a new course for undergraduate students of the Economics Department at NSU “A Commercial Bank Operating in Russia – Evidence from Sberbank”.

The course aims at familiarizing students with up-to-date issues that one of the largest Russian banks currently faces. Conducted by Sberbank members working as the heads of the bank’s offices, the course focuses on organizing the bank’s activities in general and functioning of the bank’s offices, communicating with different types of bank customers, bank marketing, and discussing the influence of the bank’s corporate culture on its efficiency.
Higher education in finance, particularly in banking business, requires that students should be instructed by bank experts, who know current relevant approaches in this field and put them into practice.

In this article we fulfill the following objectives:
• analyze the pedagogical experience obtained while creating and conducting the elective course by Sberbank experts;
• highlight the positive aspects and factors that can improve the quality and attractiveness of higher education in the field of Economics at the university in order to increase its competitiveness;
• determine potential advantages for the bank, such as getting more possibilities in selecting employees among the students of a top university.

The partnership of a large commercial bank and one of the leading universities Russia is obviously promising. Many business and educational projects created and implemented in collaboration are the conditions for both the bank’s well-being and the university progress.

Keywords:

Higher education, finance, commercial bank, university.