The minor "Asia as a Doing Business Area" offers students a comprehensive study of business activity in Asia, focusing on key countries and regions such as China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. This mega-region combines countries with diverse cultures, economic systems, and political structures. The minor is designed to foster students' deep understanding of business processes, political, and cultural characteristics of the Asian region. It provides knowledge about the structure of business relationships, nationally specific aspects of intercultural communication, and strategies for promoting interests in Asian markets.
The minor program includes the study of the historical and contemporary development of Asian economies, analysis of political systems and cultural traditions influencing the business environment. Students gain a comprehensive view of the Asian region, including its role and position in the global economy. The minor enables students to develop practical skills in working with political and financial elites in Asia and master strategies for business communication and negotiations with them.
The developer - School of International Regional Studies
The minor is held in an online format.
About minor
Disciplines
Economic and Regulatory Conditions of Doing Business in the Countries of Northeast Asia
The course focuses on salient features of doing business in Northeast Asian countries: China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The material covers state-business relations, distinct featureы of companies exemplified by South Korean chaebol, Japanese keiretsu and Chinese state-owned enterprises, as well as micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises of the three countries mentioned. The specifics of labor relations in public and private sector organizations are scrutinized. The peculiarities of negotiating with business partners from these countries are presented, techniques for increasing negotiating effectiveness are discussed. Major digital initiatives to stimulate business cooperation, as well as their key results obtained, are assessed.
Doing Business in the Countries of Middle East and South Asia
The course analyses the economic and business environment in the Middle East and South Asia Notable features of governance and regulatory institutions of business processes are revealed. Main venues of government-business dialogue are scrutinized, forms of doing business in main countries, market entry in the sectors for biggest export opportunities, and salient features of corporate governance exemplified by large companies are illustrated. The evolution of consumer sentiments and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are examined. Major initiatives aimed at stimulating business cooperation in those countries are presented, and their effectiveness is assessed.
Salient Features of Business Environment in the Countries of Southeast Asia
The course offers an in-depth overview of the business environment in Southeast Asia with an emphasis on the following areas: state-business relationship in the light of economic modernization of these countries, main corporate lobbying venues, the characteristics of companies, including micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, consumer sentiments and major digital initiatives. Prominent features of market entry, including in the sectors with the biggest export opportunities for Russian companies, forms of investment, notable features of labor relations and their regulation are revealed. The discussion covers ten ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.
Digital Aspects of Doing Business in Asia
The discipline offers an in-depth overview of major features of business projects in the Asia-Pacific region. Digital infrastructure in selected Asia-Pacific states is scrutinized (exemplified by the 5G internet, data centers (DC), “smart cities” and “smart ports”). Notable features of digital support for the brand-building and influencers are discussed, the digital regulatory environment across the Asia-Pacific region, including data localization, central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and fintech-sector, is illustrated. The specifics of digital transformation of Asia-Pacific non-digital companies and strategies of digital platforms, including their prospective plans, are analyzed.
Lecturers

Nikita Terekhin
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies