HSE University – St Petersburg Launches Joint Projects with the Maison Cartier

Within the framework of the ‘Cartier & HSE: the Future is Youth’ meeting, a presentation dedicated to the partnership between the HSE campus in Saint Petersburg and a world-famous luxury jewellery house took place with the participation of Yanina Novitskaya, Managing Director of Cartier in Russia, Ukraine, and the CIS, and Sergey Kadochnikov, Director of the HSE Campus in St Petersburg.

Photo by HSE University – St Petersburg / Anna Zyryanova

The Maison Cartier is to become a strategic partner of the HSE – Saint Petersburg. During the meeting, Sergey Kadochnikov, Director of the HSE Campus in St Petersburg, and Yanina Novitskaya, Managing Director of Cartier in Russia, Ukraine, and the CIS, shared some words of wisdom and inspiration with ‘Design’ and ‘Arts and Culture Management’ students who are already taking part in the first joint projects. Together, Mr Kadochnikov and Ms Novitskaya cut the symbolic red ribbon that opens up the way for cooperation in the form of research and applied projects in various fields.

Sergey Kadochnikov, Director of HSE University – St Petersburg:

The HSE Saint Petersburg’s acquaintance with the Maison Cartier started with the visit of Cyril Vigneron, the company's CEO, to the campus in Saint Petersburg in April this year, and since then we have very quickly reached a real partnership. In his open talk, Mr Vigneron gave inspiration for many people – it was clear that he was talking not just about the company and its main activities, but about something that is really important – an attitude. And when it comes to a university, it is also inseparable from such concepts as personality and motivation. We got together to hold discussions and do great things. When launching a partnership, we do not start with plans, but rather with a presentation of what has already been done. The interaction is already underway, and at the same time we are formalizing various facets of our potential cooperation – we are working on creating a project-based learning laboratory, organizing a series of research and joint cultural projects.

 

Yanina Novitskaya, CEO of Cartier Russia, Ukraine and the CIS:
 

Historically, the Maison Cartier has always surrounded itself with progressive and curious people, and where else to find them, if not at a university: a place bustling with young minds full of energy, drive and a healthy audacity. Establishing a partnership with a student body is one of our priorities today. We get young people’s vision on how the House is developing, how it is perceived outside the company, and we receive new ideas from them. We highly value this new vision and integrate it into our agenda. And making partners with HSE – St Petersburg seems like a very logical and beneficial step in that direction. We are sure that both parties will benefit from this wonderful cooperation. Good luck to all!

The project-based learning laboratory, created on the basis of the St Petersburg School of Economics and Management of HSE University – St Petersburg, will become a platform for the exchange of ideas and experience among the current and future professionals working at the intersection of art industry and a luxury consumer segment. The laboratory will do research and carry out projects using innovative methods, including Big Data, in the interests of the strategic partner, as well as those willing to create collaborations and partnership projects in the sphere of art industries.

 

Mastter's students of ‘Arts and Culture Management’, together with their academic director Yulia Trabskaya, presented a joint project with the Maison Cartier, which is currently being implemented and is aimed at analyzing the competitive environment and the actual market of St Petersburg, as well as highlighting trends in the luxury industry.

 

Mitya Kharshak, Academic Supervisor of the Bachelor's programme in Design, spoke about a ‘Vidimonevidimo’ (English: Apparently invisible) project, which is based on the answers of the students currently enrolled in the ‘Design’ programme to the question ‘What is Russian happiness about?’ A series of silk scarves were created based on the students’ design models, which were first presented to the delegation of the Maison Cartier in the spring of 2021 and are now being transformed into a joint cultural and exhibition project.