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In January 2024, IÉSEG and Rubika announced the launch of a new program, the Bachelor in Management and Tech Design. Taught entirely in English, it is tailored for students eager to acquire advanced skills in both management and technologies in a broad sense. These hybrid profiles are particularly sought after by start-ups, scale-ups, and major corporations accelerating their digital transformation or anticipating professional shifts due to emerging technologies like AI.

In September, IÉSEG’s campus in Lille welcomed the 11 students comprising the first cohort of the Bachelor in Management and Tech Design. The kickoff featured workshops designed to promote self-discovery and group dynamics. The 11 students coming from countries with different cultures (Cameroon, India, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Sweden, England, and France) also bring varied academic backgrounds. Fostering a strong sense of community and promoting collaboration by harnessing each individual’s strengths were top priorities for Bohdan PAWLYSZYN, Chief Engagement and Inclusion Manager.

“These 11 young people share one thing in common: they have left their families and countries to join a school, move to a city, and sometimes even a country they barely know. They will spend three incredible years together in a rigorous program aimed at honing their skills in management and technology. This will involve extensive collaboration through group work, interdisciplinary projects, and tackling real-world business challenges. Achieving this requires trust, group cohesion, and an understanding of each other’s strengths. That’s why we developed a unique two-day launch event specifically designed for the Bachelor in Management and Tech Design and its distinctive cohort profile,” explains Bohdan PAWLYSZYN.

During these two days, students participated in immersive games and progressively challenging exercises, working first individually, then in pairs, in groups of four, and eventually with the entire group. The initiative had three goals: first, to encourage self-reflection for better self-awareness; second, to identify the needs of other group members and what one is willing to share; and finally, to foster a collaborative mindset for building an effective collective.

For Bohdan PAWLYSZYN, “this initial immersion, which I call Inclusion – Control – Opening, allows each person to better know themselves and others. Most importantly, we give them the keys to better understand how they function and how others work too, to create an effective collective that draws on each person’s richness, differences, and communication modes. They of course know they are all different, and they suspect that leveraging these differences is essential. During these two days, they truly become aware of this and, most importantly, will leave with concrete and real methods for working effectively in a group.”

Trust, kindness, and team spirit are the keywords for these two days. Together, they have built the beginning of the road that will lead them to the business world and the start of their professional careers. But this group cohesion must last over time. That is why, throughout the Bachelor’s duration, lunches, evenings, and informal times outside the classroom will be organized to maintain this team spirit, essential for a quality student experience and an effective learning process.

Bohdan PAWLYSZYN concludes: “We had not imagined having a cohort with such rich and diverse profiles, and we therefore designed this unique immersion to launch the Bachelor in Management and Tech Design. We succeeded in creating enthusiasm and trust, allowing students to lay the groundwork for successful learning and for their future careers. They’ve pushed beyond their limits and fears, opened up to others, and formed a resilient, united group ready to support one another over the next three years. What they’ve learned over these two days will be invaluable in their professional lives. They now possess the skills to thrive in culturally diverse environments, which they are likely to encounter in their future roles. This is precisely what the Bachelor in Management and Tech Design prepares them for.”