By Lim Wen Juin

Russia tends to have a grip on our imagination that few other places have. This is probably due in no small part to the numerous spy thrillers that depict it as a land of subterfuge and espionage.

But there are also many less fictionalised reasons that the former communist giant has such a hold on our imagination, including its sheer geographical size, extreme climates, myriad cultures and colourful history.

The undergrads were part of a delegation that included about 100 Singapore businessmen. The delegation was in Russia to participate in the Spotlight Singapore programme, which seeks to boost relations between Singapore and other countries through the arts and business.

Among the undergrads were fourth-year information systems management student Abigail Wong, fourth-year economics and business management student Cornelius Chang and second-year economics student Tanushree Jhajharia.

They made up part of a team of six who conducted research on Russian consumer behaviour. There were also third-year business management student Jacqueline Wong, who was there in the capacity of a teaching assistant, and second-year business management student Teo Gui Xiong.

Abigail, Cornelius and Tanushree analysed trends in six sectors - real estate, food services, retail, information technology and telecommunications, financial services, and health care and medical.

'This consumer preference project essentially summarised the entire (Russian) economy,' Tanushree says.

Their report was commissioned by The Arts House, which also initiated Spotlight Singapore. Abigail notes: 'There was a lot of research into the cultural aspect.'

While it may seem incongruous to juxtapose the domains of culture and business, she maintains that the two are inextricably linked. Russian restaurants are reluctant to accommodate any group exceeding 20 people, which they consider very large.

So, for the first few nights, the group had to split up to eat. This created a problem, because the group had to stay together for the final dinner of the trip.

Abigail recalls how, in order to negotiate with the Russians, she had to understand their mindsets and beliefs.

'They are not used to the idea of win-win - compromise seems weak to them. So we went along with them, and we had to eat at the restaurant for three nights before settling the final dinner, because they view relationships as very important.'

Confirms Tanushree: 'They are not open to strangers.'

Cornelius backs up these observations with an anecdote about a friend bargaining for a souvenir.

'When he named his price, the shop lady physically turned him around and pushed him out of the shop! They don't believe in 'you getting the product, I getting some money, and both of us winning that way'.'

The group visited and spoke to executives in multinational corporations (MNCs) such as 3M and ConocoPhilips, as well as the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo. They also met Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Ambassador Michael Tay.

Interacting with these people proved to be a rewarding experience for the students. The undergrads were surprised to find the businessmen 'very open, and really interested in what we had to say', according to Jacqueline.

Gui Xiong concurs: 'The president of ConocoPhilips insisted on us asking questions before letting us go.' Jacqueline says that the first and second-year students impressed the businessmen with their maturity - and many were offered internships.

The students' report on Russian consumer behaviour was given to every delegate who went on the trip. Gui Xiong had gone on the trip to have 'a better understanding of a transitioning European economy'.

He was not disappointed. He was exposed not just to MNCs, but people at the grassroots level as well. The undergrads agree that Russia offers rich business opportunities.

'Finance-wise, China cannot compete (against Russia),' says Abigail. But as Cornelius points out, there are also potential challenges, the language barrier aside.

'You have to find a local partner you can trust, to handle the bureaucracy. The culture is paternalistic and dependent on the state, although the younger generation is more individualistic. And if there is an underlying fault in the financial system, it is the deep distrust of people towards banks - the minute they receive their pay, they withdraw it.'

Abigail adds: 'There are also corruption and law-enforcement issues, such as tax evasion.' That said, she is struck by how 'driven' the Russians are.

'They know what it feels like to have nothing. In fact, it felt like Singapore in the growing stages of the 1960s, except Russia has more resources.'

Abigail points to the Russian construction boom - and how work would begin on a new development every three or four days. The Russians, Cornelius claims, are interested in learning from Singapore - in fact they want to learn nothing less than 'perfection'.

The students were unanimous in their appreciation of the trip's cultural immersion aspect too.

'It brings to life everything we've read and learnt about Russia,' Cornelius says. Jacqueline agrees: 'We went to places where the fights happened, where the Romanovs were killed.'

The group's genuine enthusiasm shines through as they chorus: 'We saw Lenin!'

'You can never understand the grandeur of the buildings until you see them for yourself,' Jacqueline says.

The ornate opulence of Crocus City, a 'shopping mall for the oligarchs', made a strong impression on the undergrads.

It was a far cry from the expectations that some of the students had prior to the trip. Jacqueline remembers how she had heard Russia was dangerous, with people unfriendly and robbery rife.

The reality was that people were all too willing to help when the group got lost, and Cornelius tells of how, when six students rushed to board a train, a Russian stood and physically held the door open for them.

This article was first published in The Business Times on 7 July 2008.