Many years ago I met Kingston - I was then a student at the Academy of National Economy and looked with admiration at those who studied and taught there, and most importantly - at the dean of the program Margarita Perepelitsa! It was the 90s, at that time they hadn't talked about female leadership yet, but there was already a role model.
Admission to the Kingston MBA program required at least 2 years of managerial experience, and I rushed to get it in order to become a part of Kingston as soon as possible.
As a result, I entered in 2002 and was the youngest MBA student!
But I didn't feel it - I quickly joined the learning process and the team, and by the second module we began to take first places at all events!
Kingston professors were gradually opening doors to new disciplines and areas of business. My idea of teams, companies and the business world was changing. There was understanding and interest. The energy of the professors was charged with new knowledge, and live examples and cases confirmed everything that was written in business textbooks and articles that were rare in Russia at that time.
And as part of the program, I personally met the British Ambassador to Russia, Sir Roderick Lyne - I attended his lecture on leadership and received a diploma in his Residence!
So, I graduated from Kingston... and continued to build a career.
There was confidence and breadth, barriers both between countries and in communication were gone. Business problems were solved easily - after all, I already had the templates worked out. As I used to say later, when you sit over the next exam in a discipline that is completely new to you (for example, international marketing), you physically feel how your brain hurts and new convolutions appear. But then information easily passes through these twists and turns, like along chopped paths in the jungle, and decisions are made quickly - after all, you are already trained in Kingston.
I have built an international career - worked in England, Italy, France, Ukraine and Russia, opened the Russian market for Swedish retail and the international market for Russian talents. The teams of Brazil, Mexico, Europe, Great Britain, South Africa and Asia were in my area of responsibility - the world became limitless.
And after such a business experience, I wanted to contribute to scientific activity and get a PhD in Europe.
I chose the country, the institute and the topic, I was worried that it would be difficult to enter in the current conditions.
I applied and heard "oh, you studied in Kingston!"…
And since January I have been a PhD candidate in Amsterdam, studying the topics of psychological security in teams.
Thank you, Kingston, for continuing to open doors to new worlds even after 20 years!
