The international component, experience, and best practices of foreign lecturers have always been and continue to be a vital part of the educational content at UCU Business School. Despite the war, we continue to invite and host foreign professors who, despite fear and uncertainty, come to Ukraine to share their expertise with our students. Here, we tell you more about the professors and lecturers from abroad who visited our campus during the war and the topics they covered.
In times when our country faces difficult trials, the academic community of UCU Business School continues to collaborate with the best foreign professors. Their experience and knowledge are invaluable contributions to the training of future leaders who will rebuild Ukraine.
During the last academic year, 30 foreign professors taught at UCU Business School. Among them, 15 lecturers came to the Lviv campus and conducted their lectures in person. These visits, despite the challenging circumstances, demonstrate the high level of dedication and support from the international academic community.
Among the visiting professors, it’s worth mentioning Linda Netsch, who taught the course on Mastering Strategic Negotiations, Ryan Coles with a practical course on Startup Internationalization, Alex Shegda with the course on IT Strategy, Scott Sehlhorst, the author of the Product Development course, Rhonda Schrader, who worked with students on developing entrepreneurial projects using the LEAN Entrepreneurship methodology, Gerard Seijts, who co-taught the Leadership course with Andriy Rozhdestvenskyi, Barry Katz, who co-taught the Design Thinking course with Oleksandr Akymenko, Drikus Kriek with his course on Leadership and Team Management, and Mats Karlsson, who shared his experience at the World Bank in the course Hope and Choice in a Time of Uncertainty, Georges Elderle conducted research on ethics in Ukrainian business together with the CEO of UCU Business School, Yaryna Boychuk, and Natalia Ulynets.
Some visited Ukraine for the first time during the war and continue to do so annually.
Geography and Universities
The foreign professors at UCU Business School represent leading universities in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Their academic background and practical experience help our participants acquire up-to-date knowledge and skills.
- Western University, Ivey Business School
- Stanford University
- California College of the Arts in San Francisco
- Carlos III University of Madrid
- ESCP Business School
- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
- Berkeley Haas
- Cornell University
- Harvard Law School
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Connecticut
- University of Notre Dame, and other leading universities worldwide.
“Teacher of the Year” Awards
This year, two foreign professors received the “Teacher of the Year” award based on student feedback. This award is particularly prestigious as the selection is made by the students, who evaluate the professors by the quality of teaching, interactivity, support, and overall impact on their academic and personal growth.
The 2024 Teacher of the Year is Linda Netsch:
- Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School.
- Founder of Align Consulting.
- Teaches the course Mastering Strategic Negotiations as a core subject in the MSc in Innovations and Entrepreneurship and MSc in Technology Management programs.
Linda Netsch received numerous positive reviews for her ability to explain complex concepts clearly and practically, using real cases and interactive teaching methods.
Also the 2024 Teacher of the Year, Alex Shegda:
- Technology Strategy Executive at ELEKS.
- Consultant at Point B, where he led the strategy and M&A practices.
- Teaches the course IT Strategy in the MSc in Technology Management program.
Alex Shegda impressed students with his practical approach experience and willingness to share insights from real projects. His lectures often include discussions and practical assignments that help participants apply the acquired knowledge in real situations.
What Does This Support Mean for UCU Business School?
“UCU Business School has always been and remains an international and practice-oriented educational institution that simultaneously uses the principle of ad fontes and ‘goes deep,’ while also understanding how to apply scientific knowledge in the real business environment.
The entire body of theoretical and practical knowledge in management, marketing, and entrepreneurship was born and conceptualized in Europe and the world long before it was known in Ukraine, and the latest knowledge and practices also initially emerged in the West. Therefore, we create joint courses with experienced representatives of foreign business schools and universities, add real cases of Ukrainian business, and thus ensure the ‘grounding’ of modern management theories in our context.
It is worth emphasizing that for our foreign colleagues, teaching in Ukraine is not just an opportunity to earn money, but also a way to broaden their worldview regarding the variety of challenges facing business in conditions of uncertainty and unpredictability. It is a way to see new complex problems that require new management tools, as well as an opportunity to feel the true meaning of their scientific and teaching activities – together with entrepreneurial students, finding new solutions to previously unknown problems. As a result, the number of those willing to come to us in person to teach increases every year, despite the war.”
Natalka Oboznenko, Academic Director of UCU Business School
UCU Business School has European values and approaches, it has been developing an open and responsible business community in Ukraine for 16 years. With a modern educational campus in Lviv, top practitioner-lecturers, and foreign professors, partnerships with top universities worldwide, and an active alumni community, the school’s mission is to nurture a community of ethical leaders who rice to global challenges, represent Ukraine in the world business map, create win-win partnerships and shape global business trends.
UCU Business School offers five master’s programs accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Key Executive MBA, MSc in Technology Management, MSc in Managing Impact-Driven Organizations, MSc in Innovations and Entrepreneurship, and MSc in Marketing Management.
The school also offers over 25 management development programs and corporate training. More than 630 people are part of the Alumni UCU Business School community, and graduates of the mid-term programs join the LvBS Club.
