Project management in medical university: per aspera ad astra

The article describes a case of introducing project management practice at Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk. He aim is to describe the experience of Siberian State Medical University in implementing project activities to university activities. Activities on including project management methods into university activities began with the aim of upgrading efficacy of initiatives in the field of changes and development of SSMU. Publication was prepared for spreading university experience in introducing project management, describing challenges faced by SSMU executives and presenting chosen practices of teaching staff and conducting infrastructure changes in the process of embracing project management. The article consists of four main parts: 1) Introduction which provides grounds for using project management approaches to public sector organizations; 2) Theoretical foundations of project management, distinction between project and operational (current) activities; 3) Analysis of medical university as an environment for introducing project management, description of SSMU in preparing university for project management approach; 4) Discussion of obtained results, evaluating efficacy and the need for applying project management at the university. Introduction of project management at SSMU allowed university to improve efficacy of achieving university strategic objectives. A present university has reached and even exceeded target figures for consolidated university budget and student numbers, which demonstrates a transition to intensive development with the dynamics exceeding prognostication. Therefore project management at a medical university is an acceptable instrument if the right environment is formed by means of relevant preparation of university staff. SSMU experience of introducing project management demonstrates that this approach significantly increases success and results of initiatives aimed at development of higher education institution at the example of a medical university. Authors recommend using project management approaches for university strategic management. At present SSMU is the only medical university introducing project management methods. This article can be useful both for medical educational institutions executives and universities of different specialization planning or beginning to introduce project management practices.