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A strategic session on developing a Comprehensive Personnel Training Program for Foreign Economic Activity (FEA) until 2030 was held at the venue of the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade (VAAT).
The session confirmed the need to modernize the system of training FEA specialists and strengthen collaboration between businesses, educational institutions, and the government to achieve national goals in trade and international cooperation.
The session was opened by Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. The discussion was attended by Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov.
Representing the business community, Sergei Krasilnikov, Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), participated in the discussion. He outlined the key challenges faced by export-oriented enterprises, particularly emphasizing the systemic shortage of qualified specialists and the lack of standardized training programs. Other participants included Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the State Corporation Rosatom; Veronika Nikishina, Director General of the Russian Export Center JSC; Dmitry Nekrasov, Director of the FEA Development and Regulation Department at the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia; Victoria Idrisova, Rector of VAAT; and Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the Higher School of Economics.
"Today, there is a critical shortage of specialists with a deep understanding of the specifics of foreign economic activity, especially in new priority areas such as BRICS, SCO, Southeast Asia, and Africa. There is a need to update professional standards, including knowledge of economic geography, legal aspects of international trade, languages, and cross-cultural communication. Based on these new standards, educational standards should be developed," noted Sergei Krasilnikov.
The RSPP Vice President stressed that modern FEA specialists must not only be proficient in foreign languages but also possess competencies in strategic management, marketing, analytics, export financing, logistics, and the ability to conduct business negotiations in diverse legal and cultural contexts.
Referring to a survey conducted by the RSPP in preparation for the Russian Business Week—2025, the Vice President noted that RSPP members do not face as acute a shortage of specialized FEA personnel, and the situation does not fully reflect the broader market. More than half of the respondents generally do not experience a personnel shortage and are satisfied with the level of training, while 30% believe the quality of training is inadequate, and 14.3% cite insufficient quantity.
Sergei Krasilnikov also highlighted several initiatives in personnel training already implemented by the RSPP in collaboration with RFTA, HSE, and the Russian Export Center, including a project-oriented course on creating "Eurasian trading houses," and expressed readiness for further cooperation.