HTL International School
Think the world of elite business schools is all about lecture halls and case studies? Here’s a surprising fact: many top entrepreneurs, from global giants like Nike founder Phil Knight (Stanford MBA) to Indian success stories like Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google, Wharton) and Vineeta Singh (co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics, IIM Ahmedabad), actually honed their entrepreneurial spirits within the walls of these very institutions! Business education is rapidly transforming due to technology, globalization, and changing job demands. Intense global competition pushes schools to innovate curricula, add real-world experience, use tech, and provide global perspectives to produce adaptable, ethical leaders.
At the forefront of shaping future business leaders is HTL International School, an institution with over two decades of experience in providing European education to a diverse student body from across the globe. Leading this mission is Elena Glintchevskaia, the director, who brings a wealth of expertise and a clear vision for accessible and practical business education. Founded on the core principle of providing students worldwide the opportunity for a high-quality European learning experience, HTL International School has focused on delivering programs that prioritize practical skills and knowledge directly applicable to the contemporary job market.
HTL International School excels with practical learning, where experienced faculty combines academic rigor with real-world insights. The curriculum has real-life examples and projects for tangible skills. It uses tech with a specialized master’s in future technologies and AI for business. Leadership development and fostering a global, inclusive environment are key to preparing students to thrive internationally.
In the spotlight is Elena Glintchevskaia, the director of HTL International School, in an insightful interview for our prestigious “The 10 Most Prestigious Business Schools Shaping Future Leaders in 2025” edition. Join us as we explore her vision for the future of business education, the innovative approaches employed by HTL International School, and the valuable lessons aspiring entrepreneurs and future leaders can get from her expertise.
Prime Insights: Can you share a brief history of your business school, including its founding year and the original mission behind its establishment?
HTL International School has existed for more than twenty years. Our main goal as an educational center is to give students from all over the world the opportunity for European education.
Prime Insights: What are the unique features of your MBA or executive education programs that distinguish your institution from others globally?
All our programs are specifically crafted to be focused on practical skills and knowledge necessary to work in the current day. We do not want to bore our students with unnecessary theoretical materials; we are making sure to turn them into valuable players in the labor market.
“At HTL International School, we don’t just teach business—we shape global leaders equipped with practical skills, cultural intelligence, and the vision to innovate in a rapidly changing world.”
Prime Insights: In what ways does your curriculum uses real-world business challenges, case studies, or experiential learning opportunities?
Our teachers are combining the teaching experience with a professional one. They are always ready to provide real-life examples or case studies and give the final tasks and projects that can be turned into something real, just to make sure that our students are getting all they need to become the best version of themselves.
Prime Insights: How does your institution leverage technology, such as AI, data analytics, or digital platforms, to enhance business education?
With our master’s degree in Future Technologies Innovation in Entrepreneurship, we are making sure to educate our students on the newest technologies that can be used for marketing planning, business management, and human resources. For those who do not want to focus on business but are more into technology itself, we have developed a master’s degree in artificial intelligence for business, marketing, and hospitality, a program that focuses on the newest developments in the world of AI and how they can be used to our benefit.
Prime Insights: What sets your leadership development approach apart when preparing future business leaders and entrepreneurs?
We know how important it is to be a leader and to show the better way to your team. For this reason, we include very important subjects, like Leading Customer Experience, helping our students to develop leadership qualities and learn how to take care of their team in the future.
Prime Insights: How does your business school foster global perspectives, cultural intelligence, and international exposure among students?
Being an international school, we have students and teachers coming from all over the world. Our main language of communication and instruction is English, which gives us all common ground. We have the possibility to exchange the traditions, to see cultural differences, and to learn in a safe environment how to be open, to listen, and not to judge.
Prime Insights: What initiatives does your school have in place to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within its student body and faculty?
Our administration is making sure that no one is discriminated against based on their religion, nationality, or native language. We believe that different cultures in one classroom give perfect perspective to the modern global world of business.
Prime Insights: Can you discuss your commitment to sustainability, ethical leadership, and responsible business practices within your curriculum and culture?
We are sustainable, turning ourselves into a digital operating company over the last several years. We have reduced the use of paper tremendously. All the materials necessary to study are provided in electronic form. We also encourage our students to connect to classes from their hometown, reducing the CO₂ produced by traveling to the class.
Prime Insights: Could you describe the entrepreneurial ecosystem at your school and how it supports student startups and innovation?
Each student with a master’s degree has to build the business plan at the end of their program. This business plan can be a simple educational exercise, but we had many students who continued with their business ideas in the real world. We are always here for them to support their ideas, help with the promotion, and be proud of their successes.
Prime Insights: How do you ensure that soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and collaboration are embedded in your programs?
By uniting different students from different countries, cultures, and walks of life in one classroom. By giving the opportunity to do group tasks and projects, we teach them how to negotiate, find common ground, and adapt to the necessities of others on their team. This practice showed great results later on during the student’s internship.
Prime Insights: What are some recent achievements or accolades your business school has received that reflect its prestige and academic excellence?
For the last two consecutive years, we have belonged to the top 10 educational centers in Europe and in Spain.
Prime Insights: What is your vision for the future of business education, and how does your school plan to lead that transformation in the years ahead?
We believe that the world is becoming smaller and education needs to be more available for everyone. We are open to providing cutting-edge European education to people from anywhere in the world, giving them the possibility to study without leaving their country and spending a lot on accommodation and transportation. We believe that knowledge needs to be available to everyone regardless of their current location, and we are making sure to be able to continue providing it.
