Art and Design School Becomes New Faculty at HSE University-St Petersburg
The Art and Design School has become a separate faculty within the structure of HSE University-St Petersburg. The new department includes the bachelor's and master's programmes in Design. Mitya Kharshak has been appointed dean of the faculty.
The bachelor's and master's programmes in Design were formerly part of the School of Arts and Humanities. The transition to another faculty will not change the content of the programmes. The educational tracks will stay the same—'Communication Design' and 'Environmental Design' for the bachelor's programme, and 'Communication Design. Basic Level' and 'Art Direction of Cultural Institutions' for the master's programme.
The dean of the Art and Design School is Mitya Kharshak, famous designer, founder and editor-in-chief of the journal Projector.
The Design programmes will continue to combine a project-based approach to training and a strong theoretical base in art theory and history. 'The concept of the faculty is built around a project-based approach, close ties with creative industries, and engaging successful practitioners with outstanding professional achievements in teaching,' explains Mitya Kharshak.
The branching off from the School of Arts and Humanities is related to the increase in demand for design programmes at HSE University-St Petersburg and the opening of the master's programme 'Design'. 'The start of the master's programme was very successful. Last year, a great number of fee-paying students came to study design,' highlights Mitya Kharshak. At present, the number of bachelor's and master's students of 'Design', as well as continuing education programmes, is gradually approaching one thousand.
In the new academic year, the faculty will actively develop international partnerships and existing educational tracks. It also has plans to introduce new educational tracks.
Mitya Kharshak, Dean of the HSE University-St Petersburg Art and Design School
The concept of 'one university—four campuses' has always been relevant to the Art and Design School. Since the beginning, that is how it has been developing in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Perm. The creation of a separate faculty in St Petersburg only confirms our autonomy; it is a status change for the university and our external partners.
It is especially important for the HSE University-St Petersburg Art and Design School to develop international partnerships. We have singled out several high-priority directions, including India, countries in Southeast Asia, Turkey, the Middle East and Israel. We would like to develop partnerships with foreign universities and involve them in work on the digital platform of the Art and Design School, which unites all the educational programmes and tracks of the Design Schools across all HSE campuses.
We are also planning to open new educational tracks—both in our bachelor's and master's programmes. The School of Design in Moscow, which was launched in 2012, has about twenty educational tracks—this is the model our faculty strives for. First of all, we would like to establish a direction related to product design so that we can create products right in the workshops. We have discussed this repeatedly with the city authorities—for instance, with Vladimir Knyaginin, Vice Governor of St Petersburg. After all, it is important for the city to develop creative educational organisations jointly with industry representatives.
The HSE University-St Petersburg Art and Design School opened in 2018. Since then, it has opened educational tracks in 'Communication Design' and 'Environmental Design', a master's programme, and continuing professional development courses. In addition, in 2023 it launched the Art and Design Kids School.