diff --git a/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/actions/CCChangeCourseInfo.java b/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/actions/CCChangeCourseInfo.java
index 4552161cdb91..d272ca2d9752 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/actions/CCChangeCourseInfo.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/actions/CCChangeCourseInfo.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class CCChangeCourseInfo extends DumbAwareAction {
     setupLanguageLevels(course, panel);
     DialogBuilder builder = createChangeInfoDialog(project, panel);
     if (builder.showAndGet()) {
-      course.setAuthors(panel.getAuthors());
+      course.setAuthorsAsString(panel.getAuthors());
       course.setName(panel.getName());
       course.setDescription(panel.getDescription());
       setVersion(course, panel);
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseFormat/Course.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseFormat/Course.java
index 1956d799fbd7..5266c1e9d733 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseFormat/Course.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseFormat/Course.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import com.google.gson.annotations.SerializedName;
 import com.intellij.lang.Language;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.xmlb.XmlSerializer;
+import com.intellij.util.xmlb.annotations.Transient;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.core.EduNames;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.core.EduUtils;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.stepic.EduStepicConnector;
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ public class Course {
     return StringUtil.join(authors, StepicUser::getName, ", ");
   }
 
-  public void setAuthors(String[] authors) {
+  @Transient
+  public void setAuthorsAsString(String[] authors) {
     this.authors = new ArrayList<StepicUser>();
     for (String name : authors) {
       final List<String> firstLast = StringUtil.split(name, " ");
diff --git a/python/educational-python/course-creator-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/PyCCProjectGenerator.java b/python/educational-python/course-creator-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/PyCCProjectGenerator.java
index ce7c9b16b64e..5d786bf9b24f 100644
--- a/python/educational-python/course-creator-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/PyCCProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/python/educational-python/course-creator-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/PyCCProjectGenerator.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public class PyCCProjectGenerator extends PythonProjectGenerator implements Dire
     final Course course = new Course();
     String name = settingsPanel.getName();
     course.setName(name);
-    course.setAuthors(settingsPanel.getAuthors());
+    course.setAuthorsAsString(settingsPanel.getAuthors());
     course.setDescription(settingsPanel.getDescription());
 
     String language = PythonLanguage.getInstance().getID();