Thai Ambassador: HSE University Is Welcome at Chiang Mai Design Week
HSE representatives met with Sasivat Wongsinsawat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to Russia, at HSE University on Pokrovsky Bulvar. Victoria Panova, HSE University Vice Rector, Arseniy Meshcheryakov, Head of the HSE Art and Design School, and Natalia Logutova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Creative Industries Development, took part in the event. The parties discussed cooperation in the fields of education, culture, and creative industries, including HSE's participation in Chiang Mai Design Week.
HSE Vice Rector Victoria Panova welcomed the guests and noted the importance of maintaining a constant dialogue: ‘Thanks to previous contacts, now we can discuss more specific steps and proposals aimed at developing Russian–Thai relations and our mutually beneficial partnership.’
Mr Wongsinsawat noted that HSE University offers a wide range of educational programmes. He mentioned that he knows about the HSE Art and Design School, which actively employs highly qualified specialists in design, fashion, contemporary art, cinema, and animation. ‘I would like to discuss cooperation in the field of design, ie the participation of HSE representatives in Chiang Mai Design Week in 2025. In addition, we are interested in developing Russian–Thai relations through cultural and academic exchange,’ said the ambassador.
He also added that Russian experts are welcome in Thailand, as it would be interesting for local designers to learn from their experience and find out more about new technologies applied in Russia.
Thailand annually hosts international design weeks in different parts of the country. Chiang Mai is a centre of creative culture with many places for designers and technology startups. In 2023, Chiang Mai joined UNESCO's international network of creative cities, where crafts, folk art, and culture boost city development.
Arseniy Meshcheryakov, Head of the HSE Art and Design School, said that HSE University is included in the list of the 100 best young universities in the world, as well as in the top 150 world universities in the field of Art & Design according to the prestigious international QS ranking in 2024.
He stressed that in addition to degree programmes, the HSE Art and Design School can also offer Thai partners cooperation within the framework of the digital platform DAFES (Design/Art/Fashion/Events/Startups), a global service for universities and other organisations that train creative industry specialists. ‘The platform is open for international cooperation, and we are ready to provide it for the organisation of Chiang Mai Design Week. Our international partners, including colleagues from Thailand, can also join the platform,’ said Arseniy Meshcheryakov. He also added that collaboration between Thai and Russian designers will not be limited to a single event, as the platform works all year round and includes various competitive activities.
Natalia Logutova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Creative Industries Development, drew attention to the fact that more than 300,000 projects have been successfully launched on the platform: ‘The platform has a user-friendly interface in Russian and English.’ She also noted the special success of the Creativecity.Academy project developed by the HSE Art and Design School and the Institute for Creative Industries Development, and a short film competition with participants from 12 countries. The competition was held in summer 2024 jointly with the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
The parties also agreed that future joint activities and projects will be broader in scope. Victoria Panova noted that it’s important to promote and learn Russian and Thai for successful interaction at any events, including Chiang Mai Design Week, as well as for further collaboration.
‘Not everyone in Thailand speaks English or Russian. It may be worth considering using all three languages on the DAFES platform, but we should also promote joint projects in the field of linguistics, exchange of specialists in regional studies, open Russian language learning centres in Thailand, and invite Thai language teachers to join us. All this will make cooperation more comprehensive,’ said the vice rector.
See also:
School Ten Thousand Kilometres Away from Home: Students from Thailand at HSE University
HSE University continues to develop its international relations with the best Asian universities. At the request of Thammasat University (Thailand), a special short-term educational programme in ‘Russian Language and Culture’ has been created at the HSE St Petersburg International Office.