Published on: 2026-08-06
Source: Official website of the State –
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Today, the State University of Management celebrates the 120th anniversary of the birth of the first rector of our university, the founding mother of Russian management education, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Olympiada Kozlova.
Olimpiada Vasilievna began working at the age of 10 at the Pokrovsky fishermen’s artel, and from 1920 to 1950 she progressed from a turner at a factory to a senior party official. At the same time, the future rector of GUU was advancing her education: in 1937 she graduated from the Moscow Institute of Soviet Cooperative Trade, and later from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute named after V. I. Lenin. In 1940, she completed postgraduate studies at the Moscow Institute of National Economy named after G. V. Plekhanov and defended her thesis to obtain the degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences.
Revolution in education: the beginning of management training
In 1950, Olimpiada Vasilievna came to the Moscow Engineering and Economic Institute (MIEI) named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze (now GUU) to stay there for life. In just a few years, she transformed the sectoral institute into one of the leading economic centers of the USSR, known not only in the country but also worldwide.
In 1958, under the scientific supervision of Olimpiada Vasilievna, the Research Laboratory of Economics and Production Organization began its work, where investigations were carried out in close collaboration with industry workers.
In 1966, Olimpiada Kozlova created and headed the first department in the USSR called “Scientific Foundations of Production Management,” which was engaged in training qualified personnel in the theory of socialist production management, and in 1969, together with Igor Kuznetsov, she wrote the textbook “Scientific Foundations of Production Management,” which was published not only in the USSR but also in a number of other countries: GDR, HR, CSSR, PRB, and others.
For merits in the development of science and training of qualified specialists for the national economy, MIEI was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor on December 19, 1969, and in 1973, Olimpiada Vasilevna was awarded the title of honorary doctor of the Prague Higher School of Economics (Czechoslovakia) for her scientific achievements.
By 1975, MIEI had become the main center for training specialists in management, which was confirmed by the transformation of the institute into the country’s first university for management personnel training – the Moscow Institute of Management (MIU).
Moreover, it was thanks to the Olympics that Kozlova constructed buildings on Ryazansky Avenue, where the modern State University of Management is located.
GUU today: heritage through time
The State University of Management remembers its first rector and adheres to the foundations of managerial education he established, continuing to train managers and leaders for all sectors of the economy, shaping the future of our country.
“The values and traditions established by Olympiada Vasilievna Kozlova remain relevant today. They form the core of the unique organizational culture developed at the university, which has helped and continues to help solve assigned tasks and follow the chosen path,” noted the rector of GUU, Vladimir Stroev.
Today we remember not just the first rector of our university, but a person who believed in the necessity of systematic managerial education and did everything possible to make this idea a reality. The scientific and pedagogical legacy of Olimpiada Kozlova has become part of the university’s DNA, which continues to define the institution’s mission: to train managers capable of seeing the whole, making responsible decisions, and leading teams.
Subscribe to the Telegram channel “Our GUU” Publication date: 6.08.2026
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