Entrepreneurship

2025/2026

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

Кто читает:

Департамент маркетинга и предпринимательства

Статус:

Курс обязательный

Когда читается:

2-й курс, 4 модуль

Преподаватель

Ахмед Вакас

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship with a focus on Russia’s local economy and technology-driven ventures. It emphasizes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), digital entrepreneurship, and sustainable use of local resources. Students will learn how to identify opportunities, design business models, manage risks, and present venture ideas suitable for Russian and international markets.

Learning Objectives

• Define entrepreneurship, distinguish between different types (small business, family, startup, technology-driven), and explain the role of entrepreneurs in Russia’s economy.
• Analyze the Russian entrepreneurial ecosystem by identifying key institutions, support programs, financing mechanisms, and common barriers faced by SMEs and startups.
• Identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities using creativity techniques (Design Thinking, Double Diamond), analytical tools (SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces), prototyping, and customer validation surveys.
• Conduct market research, assess market potential, segment customers, and design adaptable business models using Lean Canvas, Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, and VRIO frameworks.
• Develop practical strategies for market entry, growth, and scaling in Russia and abroad, including MVP testing, e-commerce platforms, partnerships, marketing, pricing, and operational planning.
• Assess risks, ethical issues, and sustainability considerations in entrepreneurship, including political and economic risks, digital security, corruption, environmental responsibility, and social entrepreneurship.
• Apply financial literacy to entrepreneurship by preparing budgets, cash flows, financial projections, break-even analysis, and identifying suitable funding sources in the Russian context.
• Integrate knowledge into practice by developing and presenting a team-based business plan and pitch for a resource-based or technology-driven venture, and reflect on the entrepreneurial learning journey.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• By the end of spring semester students are expected to apply managerial accounting analytical tools for internal control, pricing and developing different budgets for financial planning purposes as well as to get essential skills in capital budgeting techniques.
• Able to define different types of costs. Can calculate different types of costs. Able to use different methods of cost estimation.Understand and can use different methods of cost allocations.Understand the idea of budgeting. Able to define different methods of budgeting.
• Be able to generate ideas and select them for further implementation
• Be able to choose between different legal forms of organizations depending on goals, financial needs, desired level of liability and ease of selling the share of the business or attracting new owners
• The student should know the key characteristics of the entrepreneurs, understand the main stages of the entrepreneurial project development
• Students' ability to design value proposition, develop a business-model, test hipothesis.
• Ability to develope a fundraising strategy for the entrepreneurial project
• Ability to analyze the resources necessity of the project, assess the core resources and form competitive advantage of the entrepreneurial project.
• Ability to conduct a primary market analysis: customers, competitors, industry. Is able to assess the market potential
• The student are able to prepare a speech of the project for potential investors and partners
• Make effective and well-timed decisions about new venture financing and harvesting
• - To know about the contents of an investment plan and the key elements of a financial plan, and the key elements of a performance evaluation and risk management plan.
• Master analyzing new business opportunities
• Understanding of new industry trends
• Developing skills in company’s target audience determination
• Developing of the risk identifying and assessment methods
• Be able to implement risk mitigation strategies

Course Contents

• Entrepreneurial characteristics, entrepreneurship as a process
• Entrepreneurial mindset and idea generation
• Business model development
• Entrepreneurial Firm Resources
• Primary market analysis
• Public speaking and presentation of the project to the investor
• Financing sources at different stages of life cycle. Capital structure of new ventures
• Organizational and legal forms of business
• The structure and methodology of the financial plan development
• Fundamentals of investment analysis, composition and criteria for evaluating the economic effectiveness of investment projects
• Operational Analysis and Operational Efficiency
• Risk assessment of investment projects
• Ideation and Opportunity Recognition
• Market Research and Analysis
• Risk Management and Contingency Planning

Assessment Elements

• ASSESSMENT 1 – Regional Ecosystem Map & Risk Memo
  Format: Individual memo (1 000–1 200 words) Weightage: 0.1 Due: End of Week 2 Each student will write a memo about the region/city/oblast of their choice to local board of investors Institutions & Actors 25 % Accurately maps ≥ 8 support bodies with contact data. Constraint Analysis 25 % Deep insight on ≥ 5 region-specific constraints. Source Credibility 20 % Uses ≥ 4 official sources (FAS, SME Corp). Memo Structure & Language 30 % Clear headings, concise, bilingual glossary.
• ASSESSMENT 2 – Opportunity Validation Portfolio
  The students will submit an eportfolio comprise of their thought process and Generated MVP + 3 minute video explaining feasibility justification. Format: Group (3-4 students) e-portfolio + 3-minute video Weightage: 0.1 Due: End of Week 4
• ASSESSMENT 3 – Market Research & Business Model Canvas
  Format: Group (3-4 students) poster presentation Weightage: 0.1 Due: End of Week 5 The student will submit poster presentation of their market research, VRIO, market sizing and business model canvas and answer questions
• ASSESSMENT 4 – Financial Plan & Break-Even Sheet
  Format: Group (3-4 students) Excel file + 300-word commentary Weightage: 0.1 Due: End of Week 6 The students will submit excel sheet of financial plan, projections, breakeven analysis and a 300 word commentary of its justification & feasibility
• ASSESSMENT 5: Group Venture Business Plan (3000-5000 words)
  Weightage: 0.6 Type: Group Assessment (3–4 students) Due: End of Last Week Description: Students will submit a comprehensive venture business plan by combining previous assessments. The plan should demonstrate opportunity analysis, business model development, risk and ethics evaluation, financial forecasting, and scaling strategies.

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 4th module
  0.1 * ASSESSMENT 1 – Regional Ecosystem Map & Risk Memo + 0.1 * ASSESSMENT 2 – Opportunity Validation Portfolio + 0.1 * ASSESSMENT 3 – Market Research & Business Model Canvas + 0.1 * ASSESSMENT 4 – Financial Plan & Break-Even Sheet + 0.6 * ASSESSMENT 5: Group Venture Business Plan (3000-5000 words)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Aulet, B., Ursache, M., & Snyder, C. (2017). Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1487845
• Colin Barrow, Paul Barrow, & Robert Brown. (2021). The Business Plan Workbook : A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating and Developing a Successful Business: Vol. Tenth edition. Kogan Page.
• Daniel Marco-Stefan Kleber. (2018). Design Thinking for Creating an Increased Value Proposition to Improve Customer Experience. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.B1673540
• David J. Bland, & Alexander Osterwalder. (2020). Testing Business Ideas : A Field Guide for Rapid Experimentation. Wiley.
• Miranda S. Lam, & Gina Vega. (2020). Entrepreneurial Finance : Concepts and Cases. Routledge.
• Pressman, A. (2019). Design Thinking : A Guide to Creative Problem Solving for Everyone. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1923524
• Theobald, T. (2019). Develop Your Presentation Skills : How to Inspire and Inform with Clarity and Confidence (Vol. Fourth edition). London: Kogan Page. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2175100
• Гудкина, Т. А. Company Presentation : учебное пособие / Т. А. Гудкина, М. А. Пирогова. — Благовещенск : АмГУ, 2018. — 82 с. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/156579 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Blackwell, E. (1998). How to Prepare a Business Plan : Planning for Successful Start-up and Expansion: Vol. 3rd ed. Kogan Page.
• Block, J. H. (Jörn), Groh, A. (Alexander), Hornuf, L. (Lars), Vanacker, T. (Tom), & Vismara, S. (Silvio). (2020). The entrepreneurial finance markets of the future: a comparison of crowdfunding and initial coin offerings. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-020-00330-2
• Jagmohan Negi, & Gaurav Manoher J. (2012). Financial Management and Investment Decisions. [N.p.]: Laxmi Publications Pvt Ltd. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1909332
• Jerzy Cieślik. (2017). Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies. Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.b.spr.sprbok.978.3.319.41721.9
• Osterwalder, A., & Euchner, J. (2019). Business Model Innovation: An Interview with Alex Osterwalder. Research Technology Management, 62(4), 12. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2019.1613114
• Бурцева, К. Ю., Business performance research: analytical and control aspects : монография / К. Ю. Бурцева, Е. Б. Герасимова, И. О. Юрасова. — Москва : КноРус, 2022. — 180 с. — ISBN 978-5-406-09929-2. — URL: https://book.ru/book/944577 (дата обращения: 04.07.2025). — Текст : электронный.

Authors

• KARPYCHEVA SVETLANA ALEKSANDROVNA
• Akhmed Vakas