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Congratulations to our Master Class CEE 2024/25 Graduates!

[Translate to English:] CCLogo

On June 10 we celebrated the successful completion of the MCCEE 2024/25 with a wonderful graduation ceremony, marking the end of an inspiring year-long journey.

In the last 8 months, 22 students from 11 countries and 9 WU masters’ programs dived deep into business and management issues in CEE – in the classroom, during their field trip to Zagreb, and in discussions with experts and representatives of our corporate partners, Erste Group Bank AG, Henkel and Mondi Group.

[Translate to English:] Graduation2025-1

This program started in cooperation with Austrian businesses in 1994, with 600+ graduates so far and the success story goes on.

This year's group of students developed an in-depth report on 'Innovation in CEE' with the following key findings:

  • Innovation is needed to break out of the prevalent low-cost model and foster standard of living.

  • Innovation in CEE is advancing but the performance is unevenly distributed: Estonia, Slovenia and Czechia are in the lead.

  • Fragmented ecosystems, low coordination among key actors, low R&D spending, talent outflow and overreliance on EU funding are main weaknesses.

  • Software/ICT, fintech, mobility, biotech/health and energy tech are key industries with a strong innovation momentum.

  • Unicorns originating from the region show the potential: UiPath, CD PROJEKT RED, Rimac Technology, Wise, eMAG, Avast.

  • Companies with a strong innovation culture and record such as Krka, DOK-ING, ESET, Gedeon Richter, Wizz Air or IKI are further examples of the fertile ground.

  • To boost innovation CEE countries have to invest in skills, retain talent, improve research-industry collaboration and enhance R&D spending.

The graduation ceremony was the culmination of an instructive and inspiring year. Co-program director Arnold Schuh expressed it perfectly:

Great emotions - It was my pleasure and honor to run together with co-director Dr. Rainer Matiasek the graduation ceremony of the 31st cohort of the Master Class CEE at the Competence Center for Emerging Markets & CEE at WU Vienna. Established as a complementary, practice-oriented study program on management in CEE in 1994 and still attractive and relevant. Wow! 22 students from 11 countries and 9 WU master's programs graduated this week. Before they received their certificates the class presented the findings of the project seminar "Innovation in CEE". (...) Our thanks go to Erste Group Bank AG, Henkel and Mondi Group for supporting the MC CEE.

Dr. Arnold Schuh

We wish the new graduates all the best for their future!

Semra Bujak, Ajdin Causevic, Zsófia Csendes, Tarek Faraj-Allah, Anastasiya Halauneva, Constantin Helmrich, Marina Isachenko, Csongor Jozsa, Clara Koblischek, Mariela Latinova, Wojciech Liszka, Emilian Popp, Dior Ramosaj, Lucia Remišová, Natalia Rusanova, Zuzanna Sadowska, Agnes Schnell, Sofia Sidorova, Dominik Sylejmani, Teodora Tenciu, Bogáta Anna Z., Alexander Zrnic

A big thank you to our corporate partners for their support: Melanie Zach (Henkel), Sabine Ricciardi and Alexandra Zulehner (Erste Group Bank AG) and Jennifer Greisinger (Mondi Group).

Interested WU masters' students can apply for next year's Master Class CEE 2025/26 here.