Finding a Partner University is Like Making a New Friend

On August 27th and 28th the selection process for students of a joint master’s programme at the European School of Management (ESCP Europe) and the HSE Faculty of Management took place at the HSE. Henry Jolles, Director of International Development, ESCP Europe, shared his impressions on the selection and the collaboration between the two universities.

Graduates of the mutual master's programme of ESCP Europe and the HSE Faculty of Management get 2 master's degrees at the end of 2 years of education - one from a leading Russian university and one from a prestigious European business school. The programme offers the following specializations:marketing, strategic and corporate management, and project management. The first year of education takes place in Moscow at the HSE Faculty of Management and the second at ESCP Europe in Paris. Students have the opportunity to receive grants from the French Embassy, the Coordination Council and the Eiffel Scholarship of the French MFA to cover the programme's fees. Last year, 8 HSE students studied at ESCP Europe, this year there are 14, and 20 people have been selected for next year.

- Mister Jolles, the collaboration between the HSE and ESCP Europe been running for four years. Are you satisfied with its results?

- This is my second visit to Russia, and I'd like to emphasize that the level of the students applying for our programme is very high. This year the interest in the programme is higher than ever:instead of usual 10 - 15 applications, we have processed more than 30 of them, and many of them are excellent.

- In your opinion, do Russian students differ from students from other countries studying in ESCP Europe, in terms of their qualifications or attitude to learning?

- Students from all over the world get an education at ESCP Europe, and the selection process makes sure that the level of our students is equally high. I cannot say that French students significantly differ from students from Russia, the USA, China or Portugal. The most important thing is for students to stay motivated throughout the whole process of study.

- What feedback do you get about the Russian students who have graduated from ESCP Europe?

- Every year we prepare a report with information on our graduates and feedback from their employers. We are in contact with many big companies not only in France, but also here in Russia:mainly they are large French firms which have been working in Russia for a long time. That's why I can assure you that our graduates have an outstanding qualification which is very much in demand by employers.

- What demands does ESCP Europemake on a university looking to become its partner?

- Finding a partner university is like making a new good friend. When you share mutual values and views with another person, when you find common interests, then you hope that this person will become your friend. It is the same with the search for partner universities across the world. Only a university sharing common goals and values with us in terms of managerial education can become a partner of ESCP Europe. Obviously, there cannot be a lot of such universities.

- Besides the HSE, who are your partners in Russia?

- In terms of collaboration in master's programmes, the HSE Faculty of Management is our only partner in Russia. We hope that our co-operation with the HSE will expand in the future.

- What specifically are you looking to develop?

- We look forward to the development of collaborative research, but understand that such questions can not be solved only at a managerial level:it is necessary to have informal contacts between professors of both parties. It is essential that colleagues, who previously have probably known each other only through publications, can find common ground which will provide a basis for new research projects. I hope that our visit will promote further development of the HSE - ESCP Europe co-operation as a whole and in fields of research in particular.

Kseniya Shvedova