Training students for the company of tomorrow

What role does education play in the positive transformation of the economy?

Higher education and research institutions play a key role in addressing current and future challenges. It’s crucial to restore meaning to leadership, and ESSEC fully embraces this responsibility. As an academic institution of excellence, our mission is to contribute to making the world more sustainable, just, and inclusive through knowledge production and sharing. This is the essence of our motto: “Enlighten, Lead, Change”! True to its French humanistic roots, our global business school educates enlightened leaders, future executives who can have a positive impact on the transformation of the economy and society.

This entails interdisciplinary education, open to the complexity of issues and their interconnectedness. We now understand that economics, ecology, social issues, technology, and geopolitics are intertwined. In education as well, they must be approached together, not in silos. Students need this to learn to think globally and long-term, and to design more sustainable economic models. This is the direction we are taking at ESSEC.

Finally, our ability to transform relies on the power of the collective. Our students, professors, teams, and alumni are all engaged with us in this progress. It’s a significant and exciting lever for action!

How is ESSEC facilitating this transformation?

To address the major challenges of ecological and social transition, ESSEC has initiated a comprehensive transformation plan, Together, at the heart of its strategy. For the past 18 months, we’ve been evolving everything: the programs, research, and life on our various campuses.

This approach has already borne fruit. On the social front, for example, we have increased the proportion of scholarship students to 23%, up from 5% in 2010, with a target of 27%. Starting from September 2022, all students in the Grande Ecole program will be trained in diversity and inclusion issues, beginning with the Diversity Mural. Regarding the environment, 100% of students (Grande Ecole, Global BBA, Masters) undergo 20 hours of training on environmental issues. We have also launched several programs (Masters and Bachelors) and Chairs focused on sustainability: “Talents for Ecological Transition,” “Global Circular Economy,” and “Enterprise and the Common Good.” On campuses, we are improving the energy performance of our buildings, reducing waste, and eliminating single-use plastics. Finally, we are strengthening our alliances with local stakeholders, such as CY Cergy Paris University, to trigger a virtuous dynamic at the regional level.

Transformation entails challenging established models. The transition of our students at ESSEC must be a moment to acquire new knowledge but also to learn to (un)learn. With Together, the School applies this principle to itself. True to its pioneering spirit, it is in constant reinvention to ensure the relevance and positive impact of its programs.

What is your perspective on the increase in engagement among your students on sustainability issues in recent years?

Students and recent graduates are “raising their voices” in their discourse. This is the case in many schools, including ours, with highly engaged students and alumni acting on ecological urgency, notably in the ESSEC Transition Alumni association. These stances are a strong signal from the youth. ESSEC is determined to respond to this, as evidenced by all our initiatives to evolve our knowledge and practices. To be honest, it’s an evolution in continuity because ESSEC has been engaged in diversity, inclusion, and social innovation for 20 years, supporting its students with dedicated organizations like the Social Innovation Chair and our social enterprise accelerator, Antropia.