University knowledge management development has an impact on different aspects of universities' activities, such as education, management, innovation and research. Research in the field of university knowledge management systems reveals that the competitiveness of a university depends directly on the level and the maturity of a knowledge management system. The socio-cultural environment which has been developed at the university defines methods and tools for the identification, assessment and transfer of new knowledge. The sustainable functioning of this system becomes more problematic when several independent universities merge. Each participant in this process of integration is the driver of a unique corporate culture, unique system of human capital development, has its own system for the training and professional development of faculty staff, scientific and innovative infrastructure and technology transfer capacities. The St. Petersburg Economic University (UNECON) was formed as a result of the merger of two large economic universities - FINEC and ENGECON - in 2012. In 2013, the new university acquired the University of Service and Economics. This case is of special interest because the merger has affected two scientific and teaching schools that had previously been in the state of irreconcilable competition and opposition to each other. The problem of the merger of these two institutions in an environment of rigid resistance to change has required new solutions in knowledge management systems.