AI Becomes Part of the MBA Agenda
Business school leaders are turning AI into a tool for managing learning. The first step has now been taken, with an expert seminar in Moscow marking a starting point for the next stage of Russian business education.
Academy AyTi FabricaONE.AI (part of Softline Group), the Higher School of Business and Technology at the State University of Management, and the Russian Association of Business Education (RABE) have launched an initiative that could significantly reshape Russian business education. Its first practical milestone was the expert seminar, Artificial Intelligence Tools for Business Education: Transforming Programs and Processes.
Where Is Business Education Heading?
The seminar continues to build momentum around the use of artificial intelligence in education. Those in attendance were not simply researchers discussing future possibilities. Business school deans, vice rectors responsible for digital transformation, directors of MBA, EMBA, and DBA programs, instructional designers, and faculty members from a wide range of disciplines examined tools that could be implemented immediately.
The event opened with remarks from State University of Management Rector Natalia Yevtikhieva, who also serves as Director General of RABE, and Vladimir Godin, Academic Director of the University's Higher School of Business and Technology and Vice President of RABE. Their presentations established a common theme: business schools need shared approaches that will allow the sector to move forward together. As Vladimir Godin noted:
“For the State University of Management, it is important not only to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence, but also to create platforms for professional dialogue about the transformation of education. We see our role as supporting this professional community, helping develop common standards, and sharing practical experience in applying these technologies throughout educational processes.”
Breaking Down the Barriers
Participants examined how machine learning, generative AI, and data analytics are reshaping education, from curriculum modernization to personalized learning and knowledge assessment. Nikolay Trzhaskal of FabricaONE.AI demonstrated how neural networks can generate business cases for students and adjust the difficulty of learning materials to match each learner's level.
Roman Inyushkin of Softline Resheniya (Softline Solutions) focused, figuratively speaking, on dismantling the barriers to adoption. Poor data quality, immature organizational processes, limited AI expertise, and institutional resistance remain the factors most likely to derail implementation projects.
Alexander Vorozhtsov of Academy AyTi presented an AI-powered course development system capable of generating everything from an overall curriculum structure to individual learning modules. During the discussion, participants immediately applied the tools they had just explored to practical business school challenges.
Bringing Separate Initiatives Together
More than 6,000 educators strengthened their AI skills after Russia launched a nationwide teacher training initiative in 2021. Those programs, however, were designed primarily for technically proficient specialists, while businesses increasingly needed executives capable of managing AI adoption.
That focus shifted toward business leaders in 2024, when SberUniversity introduced a program that positioned AI as a strategic management tool. By 2025, about half of Russian companies were already using neural networks to support decision-making. Even so, organizations continued to face both a shortage of qualified managers and broader technological fragmentation. Integration efforts often stalled because executives found it difficult to evaluate the business case and financial impact of AI projects.
In 2026, the Higher School of Economics introduced a six-month program for leaders responsible for digital transformation. The curriculum emphasized AI strategy development, financial evaluation of pilot projects, and change management. The seminar organized by Academy AyTi FabricaONE.AI, the State University of Management, and RABE brings these previously separate initiatives together into a more unified framework for the business education sector.
Experience and Challenges
A roundtable titled AI in Business Education: Russian Experience and Challenges became one of the seminar's central events. Participants discussed how generative AI is changing the roles of instructors and instructional designers. The conversation covered a broad range of questions: What ethical and legal risks accompany the use of AI? How can institutions prevent confidential data leaks and copyright violations? Most importantly, how should educators measure the effectiveness of AI tools in the learning process?
The seminar concluded with a list of ideas for future pilot projects. Priority areas include expanding AI competencies among instructors, applying generative AI to curriculum development, and introducing analytics and feedback tools into educational programs. Participants also proposed establishing RABE working groups that would allow business schools to exchange practical experience and develop common approaches.
Softline Group, which is leading the initiative, has substantial resources to support its implementation. With more than 30 years of experience, the company employs approximately 10,700 highly qualified professionals, more than half of whom are engineers and software developers. Softline's presence in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates also creates opportunities to bring successful Russian educational technology solutions to international markets.
