The Sk Capital educational initiative — a double-degree master’s program offered by Russia’s leading technology universities — was conceived in fall 2024, when the first successful step in the collaboration between Skoltech and MIPT was the implementation of a pilot academic mobility program. As part of this pilot, students could access courses at the partner university without formal enrollment, allowing them to develop additional competencies. Graduates’ thesis projects were successfully implemented in practice both in Russia and abroad.
The full-time double-degree program follows a hybrid model: Two-thirds of the program is delivered by the Department of Technological Entrepreneurship MIPT+Skolkovo, partnered by Sk Capital, and one-third is delivered by Skoltech.
Students will attend classes at both universities, complete two master’s programs simultaneously (the joint master’s program of the MIPT+Skolkovo Department of Technological Entrepreneurship and one of Skoltech’s master’s programs), and receive two diplomas. The new educational program “Technological Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Development” by Sk Capital provides students with deep fundamental knowledge alongside practical skills for working at the intersection of technological entrepreneurship and scientific research. This educational model aims to train a new generation of specialists and leaders capable of scaling innovations in the future.
Vladimir Sakovich, CEO of Sk Capital, an MIPT alumnus who now heads the Department of Technological Entrepreneurship MIPT+Skolkovo at his alma mater and is the visionary behind the project, notes: “The joint role of universities, businesses, and development institutions lies in synthesis and an interdisciplinary approach to education, combining fundamental scientific disciplines, modern management practices, and infrastructure for creating pilot projects with the potential to reach the market straight from the university walls.”
Even during the pilot phase of the Skoltech-MIPT academic mobility program, students launched commercially successful projects, including scaling products in BRICS countries.
“To ensure Russia’s technological leadership, we need the most motivated and high-potential young specialists willing to try new things and approach complex challenges in unconventional ways,” adds Vladimir Sakovich.
The new master’s program will enroll 10 students, ensuring maximum attention for each, personalized mentoring from experts, partners, and Sk Capital portfolio companies, and collaborative work on career and business tracks.
“The selection process was challenging: a physics exam, followed by an interview on technological entrepreneurship, and a final stress-test interview in English. The level of difficulty was high, but each stage was incredibly interesting. It was clear how engaged and invested the program’s instructors and experts were in strong students. From the program, I expect not only new knowledge but also an environment where ideas turn into real ventures. I’ve been developing projects in artificial intelligence for several years and am confident that MIPT and Skoltech are the best platforms to unite a strong engineering and entrepreneurial community and scale business ideas,” says Danila Volozhanin, a student in the new master’s program.
“The launch of the joint double-degree program by Skoltech and MIPT is an important step for the entire innovation ecosystem in Russia. We have managed to combine two strong approaches: the practice-oriented project courses at Skoltech, starting with our flagship Innovation Workshop and continuing in specialized fields — from biomedicine and nanotechnology to blockchain and artificial intelligence — and the fundamental entrepreneurial training at MIPT’s Department of Technological Entrepreneurship, where students develop projects through theory and seminar practice. This synergy creates a unique educational environment where students learn to think like engineers and act like business leaders. I am confident that this environment will produce projects that will not only be in demand in Russia but also aspire to become world-class technological breakthroughs, shaping the future of the Russian economy and strengthening its position on the global stage,” comments Professor of the Practice Dmitry Kulish from the Skoltech Entrepreneurship Center, the head of the Innovation Workshop and the director of the “Technological Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Development” program.
