In the history of humanity, we can see that the beauty is a natural aspiration. Beauty will save the world
The university should bring the mindset of a Business School as well as research – focusing on today but looking to the future. This collaboration, which we try to achieve in all our programmes, has the goal of combining these different views. We cite the skills companies are looking for, but also the trends that our students will be required to cope with in the near future. It’s the perfect combination. AMW: If I look at the programme, it’s one of the most attractive MBAs in the world. You’ve created it in association with Prada, NEOMA Business School and [Champagne house] Taittinger. What are the minimum numbers, in terms of cohort size, that you need to make a programme like this viable? AM: A lot of the skills and competencies we have depend on the bigger networks of opportunity that we have at Business School level. We have activities specific to this course, but we take advantage of the community level and exploit all the opportunities. The minimum number to make this viable is not high. The typical dimension is 60 people, and we want to keep it there to ensure a profitable programme, good networking opportunities, and good interaction within the class – but keep the ethos similar to a luxury market. To be sustainable, 30-35 students is enough. AMW: Carlo, everyone admires luxury goods but there is sometimes some envy, and you come under great scrutiny in
terms of sustainability. You have proudly put forward a sustainable strategy for Prada. Can you tell us how you are making Prada products genuinely sustainable? CM: Regarding sustainability and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, I don’t think there are 17 scopes of sustainability, but rather values and aspects of the same principle. Allow me to make a comparison, which I think is very compelling. When we speak about ethics, no one thinks it’s possible to split the aspects of morals. In other words, if I had to draw the sustainability described by the UN on a sheet of paper, I would sketch a polygon with 17 sides and 17 triangles, converging towards the centre, and one or more of these triangles could not be removed, without destroying the whole figure. In order to answer your question, I would say education must clarify the principles on which sustainability is based, breaking down the description into the 17 points defined by the UN. Maybe it’s better to start with the three rules of life stated by [Roman Emperor] Marcus Aurelius [which comprise judgement, desire, and impulse]. Then, in the business world, we can find ourselves operating in one or two of these triangles, knowing they are all touching the same shape. In other words, we have to consider all aspects of our work: the value chain’s impact on pollution, or process of production, or the destinies of the products we’re selling to our customers. This is a very complex goal, but if Schools explain what sustainability means, then
in the workplace, we can [develop] people who can manage all the aspects and principles of sustainability, in order to build the right products for the future. AMW: Antonella, many of our Schools will think that a specialist MBA should be much more than classroom teaching and company visits, and I know you’re much closer to Prada in terms of some of the things that you’re asking students to do. Could you tell me a bit more about this? AM: As an introduction, what we decided to do was much more than teaching and visits; we wanted a real experience for students. The collaboration with Prada allowed us to manage this with a challenge and allow students to work on projects around real problems. This works by the company introducing a challenge it is facing in real life, and students splitting into groups to act as advisors in order to solve these problems. Students are supported by faculty, and they have regular meetings with the company over time. They gain feedback and advice. At the end there is a formal presentation when they can present their final idea in front of the board of the company. They offer the assumption, suggest a solution, and outline a roadmap for implementation. Students can get feedback and share suggestions. The winners are advised to share their CV with the company. They can work on real projects, looking to the future, and are encouraged to think independently to find solutions.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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