UNECON International Advisory Board meeting held on 19 of September under the mission to promote cooperation between universities worldwide. 

Moderators headed the round:

• Igor Maksimtsev – Rector of UNECON, Dr. Pr.;
• Rudolf Faltermayer – Honorary professor of the Technical University of Munich, former vice-president of the Association of the Bavarian savings banks, Dr. Dr. h.c. of SPbSUE;

 the following members of IAB participated:

• Clemens Renker – Dr. Dr. h.c. of SPbSUE; Pr. of the University of Applied Sciences  Zittau / Görlitz.
• Uwe Schneider - Head of The Institute of savings at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, Dr. Dr. h.c. of SPbSUE
• Gabriele Kötschau – Director of Wirtschaftskooperationen West-Ost
• Kari Hyppönen – President of Baltic Sea Region University Network (BSRUN)

with UNECON administration representatives:

• Dmitry Vasilenko – Vice-Rector on International Relations, Dr. Pr.;
• Elena Gorbashko – Vice-Rector on Research, Dr. Pr.;
• Veronica Shubaeva – Vice-Rector on Academic Affairs, Dr. Pr.;
• Nikolay Toivonnen – Vice-Rector on Strategic Development, Dr. Pr.;

From the first meeting the advisory board aimed to structure specifically a wide ideas flow and shape an exact form of further actions, whence UNECON devoted «Strategy 2025». In its framework, a noticeable improvement showed during the year. Igor Maksimtev presented exact figures in upgraded areas.

The most significant are several: University improved its performance dramatically in a comparison to last year by staff per student proportion rate. Concept «education 4.0» pushed an implementation of university mobile applications. Under program «Digital UNECON» organization almost doubled its capacity: data storage grew up to 150 Terabyte from 90 and an acquisition of super computer NVIDIA DGX-1, which computing power is higher than 30 usual servers, is going to develop big data analysis, mathematical research. The device will be integrated into educational process in the machine-learning sphere.  To manage Unecon profile in SCOPUS WEB of SCIENCE and help authors, the center of Publication support created under the Publication Strategy section.

International ranking and accreditation was a main theme of further dialog. Besides UNECON reached 22^nd place among 600 Russian Universities at Forbers ranking and raised up in a year on the 22 positions at National Ranking of Universities, there are more items to work on. The QS - World University Rankings expert, the regional director Zoya Zaitseva consulted UNECON specifically on a live webcasting straight from London, UK. A robust discussion opened a next step UNECON should improve further - brand awareness abroad. That shows that a meeting was highly productive and IAB work is going to be continued.