"Bocconians" Are Diverse: Digging Between Perceptions And Stereotypes

Going around the Bocconi campus you will always meet new people, no matter what year of studies you’re at.

As per usual, the first question after:

What’s your name?

is no other but,

What course are you in? 

To my answer Management for Arts, Culture and Communication, most either look at me with diminished credibility or crack a smile and say:

Oh, arts and crafts, right?

Bocconi Art Gallery 2016, via Bocconi University

Bocconi Art Gallery 2016, via Bocconi University

Despite being located in Milan, a hub for culture and creativity, Bocconi attracts students that mainly attend the university with dreams of working in big corporations and financial institutions. With it being the most prestigious university in Italy, this absolutely makes sense. 

To this extent, I believe that many prospective students, especially at an international level, don’t know they can study Art Management at Bocconi. The stereotypical image of the university and its rank as one of the best business schools in the world might not spark the interest of individuals passionate about the creative sphere, who instead, turn to Art and Design Schools to look for cultural management courses.

In the same way that some students might not see Bocconi as the place for creativity,  people that are active in the creative field often seem puzzled, when I approach them. I usually think to myself: “they probably think that I’m just coming from one of the school’s business degrees”, in an effort to understand and justify their reaction. What I’m trying to say is that it is highly likely that the stereotypes around Bocconi are pushing away potential students. Isn’t it a shame that possibly brilliant students feel unable to see themselves fitting into the University’s environment, due to its rigid structures and perpetuated stereotypes? And an even bigger shame that this might be what’s preventing Bocconi from establishing itself as an academic leader in business for arts and culture?

 
Illustration by Ira Tassouli

Illustration by Ira Tassouli

 

Additionally, although the fact that I studied at Bocconi has been a big advantage for me so far, professionally speaking, the degree I completed in July of 2019 is sometimes seen as not solid enough or of lesser value than other Bocconi degrees. And this is a thought that is unfortunately perpetuated by the Bocconi community itself. It is not rare that students will describe the degree as easier than the others or more frivolous. Dealing with culture and art is too fussy or unstable for some, while the program is seen as too specific and narrow by others. 

Yet for someone who wants to work in the creative industries whether that is film, fashion or publishing, this degree cultivates the perfect balance between managerial skills and a creative sensibility. Most lectures are taught by individuals active in the creative scene of Milan or the world, and students are given the possibility to specialize in their industries of interest. At the end of the degree, you don’t lack any business skills, but on the contrary, you’re endowed with a humanistic approach to business processes, one that I think is crucial in all industries nowadays. So Art, Cultural Management or any course in management of creativity and design is not easier: it’s just different.

 
Illustration by Ira Tassouli

Illustration by Ira Tassouli

 

Through my personal experience of working in a creative agency, I was able to see that difference. Working in an experience-driven economy with creative individuals requires a completely different approach than the one taught by classic management courses. And companies in any creative industry value these specialized profiles, as they are a predictably good fit for their needs. On top of that, a more humanistic and creative education is definitely a plus nowadays, with companies in various industries incorporating design thinking and open innovation to their practices. In other words, standing out is always to your advantage. 

It is with this mindset and the will to bridge that creative gap that we shaped the current vision of Business&Arts. By exposing students to more creative approaches, encouraging creative exploration and supporting them in their growth, we wanted to contribute to creating a Bocconi community less riddled by stereotypes and more able to appreciate the value of creative studies. That said, I am more than proud of the movement that we have created and I hope that it will give more facets to the image of the typical “Bocconian” and push the University to present more opportunities to students interested in the field.