Biography

2003–2007  – studied international relations at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, graduated with an honors degree 

2005 – internship at South Karelian IB High School, completed a course in business management

2005 – professional internship at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation’s St. Petersburg Representative Office, provided federal entities with support on preparing and implementing events of an international reach;

2006 – internship at Cross Border University (Finland), boosting skills in the field of doing business with the consideration of intercultural specifics of Russian and North European entrepreneurs; 

2006–2007 – obtained a diploma at the University of Helsinki’s School of Economics (Helsingin Kauppakorkeakoulu Pienyrityskeskus)

2008 – internship at the European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium) 

2009 –  served as a legal adviser to the company Costas Indianos & Co (Nicosia, Cyprus), proving a full range of services on incorporating and administrating companies in different jurisdictions. 

2010–2014 – served as the head of international programs at Aalto University’s Small Business Center with offices in Helsinki, Mikkeli, Tallinn and St. Petersburg; in this capacity, coordinated a range of EU projects in Russia, including GATE (Entrepreneurship Development in Gatchina District), Innovation and Business Cooperation – Innobus, WOPE – Wood Procurement Entrepreneurship, Biznes po-russki, Young Business Development, JAP 2010 Joint Access Program, Naisyrittäjien yhteistyötä yli rajojen ( Women’s Entrepreneurship Across the Borders), Innovaatioyhteistyö Kaakkois-Suomi – Pietari, Venäjä (Cooperation in Innovation of South-East Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia) and others, conducted the development and implementation of training courses for major Finnish companies dealing in the Russian territory, as well as the development and implementation of MBA programs. 

Since 2015 – has been serving as the deputy director of ITMO University’s Technopark. 

Olesya Baraniuk’s areas of responsibility at ITMO include implementing Technopark’s development strategy, creating favorable conditions for the organization, development and operation of innovative enterprises, facilitating the introduction of inventions and products by Technopark’s residents and small innovative enterprises, startups and projects created as part of the university’s acceleration programs into the international market, and facilitating the introduction of the residents’ research developments into the industry.