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IÉSEG stands out as a key player in higher education and looks forward to the next stage of its strategic plan

Halfway through the strategic plan, numerous achievements in the School’s key sectors

2 years after the launch of its 2022 – 2027 strategic plan “Inspire – Connect – Transform”, IÉSEG is reaping
the rewards of its significant investments.

– Among the most important ones: IÉSEG has consolidated its position in all the major national rankings (the School is the leader of 5-year Grande Ecole Programs in all French rankings) and international rankings (in 2023, for the first time, it joined the Financial Times ranking dedicated to Executive Education “Custom” as “Highest Newcomer” and moves up 15 places in 2024. It also enters the best Masters in Finance ranking, in 26th position, in 2024).

– In 2023, the School’s EQUIS and AACSB accreditation were renewed for a further 5 years. This confirms its Triple Crown status, with all accreditations (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA) awarded for the maximum duration of 5 years.

– In terms of CSR, the school was awarded the Higher Education DD&RS label for the maximum duration of 4 years, and improved its position in the annual ChangeNow – Les Echos Start ranking, coming in 3rd position. Above all, it won 2 trophies at the prestigious Financial Times “Responsible Business Education Awards”, including the “Best business school demonstrating systemically integrated responsible principles in teaching, research, operations and student performance”.

– Whether in research or teaching, IÉSEG professors win numerous national and international distinctions and awards every year. For example, the Prix Jean-François FIORINA for Pedagogical Innovation was awarded in 2023 by the “Conférence des Grandes Écoles” to Loïc PLÉ and Antonio GIANGRECO for their course about Change Management.

– Last but not least, the School’s graduates are recognized for their commitment and career paths. In 2024, two young women were named in the prestigious Forbes “30 under 30” ranking: entrepreneur Ophélie VANBREMEERSCH, founder of “Lunettes de Zac”, and the young Managing Director of Leroy Merlin France, Agathe MONPAYS.

With its DNA deeply rooted in human-centered values, diversity, and internationalization, IÉSEG proudly asserts its strong ambition to be a key player in both French and international higher education. The School also wants to play a leading educational role for the young people who join the School, while also leveraging its expertise to contribute to society’s transformation on major environmental, social and economic challenges. Halfway through this strategic plan, the School’s results have exceeded expectations and the investments already made are of very high quality, particularly in terms of real estate, with the completion of the IÉSEG Village and the Vauban building in Lille, as well as the opening of Les Collines building in La Défense

Caroline ROUSSEL, Dean of IÉSEG

IÉSEG revamps its Grande École Program for greater interdisciplinarity and personalized support

After surveying students, recent graduates, faculty and businesses about their expectations for this program, IÉSEG decided to deeply revamp the Master’s cycle of its Grande École Program to meet two major objectives: increased interdisciplinarity and even more personalized support for all the School’s talented students.

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Starting in September 2024, in addition to a common core of courses identical for all, students in the Master’s cycle of the Grande École Program will choose a major from the seven offered (Marketing, Finance, International Negotiation & Sales, General Management & Strategy Consulting, Operations & Supply Chain Management, Financial Management & Control, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship).

The teaching of each major is backed by the research and expertise of the School’s professors and has been intensified, both in the number of courses and the allocated ECTS credits.

Afterwards, students will choose a minor in another field to enhance their open-mindedness and blend their skills. Among the minors are “Digital Transformation,” “Managing People & Organizations,” “Managerial Decision-Making,” and “Sustainability & Transition,” among other examples. Students also have numerous opportunities for dual degrees, both in France and internationally.

Student entrepreneurs, on the other hand, have a fully dedicated path to their business creation
with the “Entrepreneurship” major and the “Student Entrepreneur” minor, thus benefiting from increased adaptability and flexibility. A specialized “Audit & Control” track has also been developed specifically for students who wish to work in this field, ensuring they master all the expectations of future recruiters, particularly the Big 4.

In this way, the PGE Master’s cycle supports students in their personal, academic and professional development, training young graduates who are well-rounded, well-structured intellectually and immediately operational – a highly attractive balance for recruiters.

After the Bachelor’s cycle redesign, we have carried out a complete revamp of the Master’s cycle of our PGE in order to broaden the range of training and career paths offered to our students, with a major and a minor. The aim is to reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of our teaching and meet the new expectations of companies, particularly in terms of data and artificial intelligence, the transition to sustainability and geopolitics, as well as the need for soft skills. We have also taken advantage of this complete redesign to introduce an innovative Career Bootcamp, “Master your Future”, to prepare our future graduates for a successful transition to the professional world, thanks to the involvement of our corporate partners.”

Robert JOLIET, Academic Director of IÉSEG PGE and Director of Academic Development in France

IÉSEG strengthens the blending of skills within its programs and launches a new Bachelor’s degree in partnership with Le Wagon

Today, more and more jobs call for multiple, hybrid skills and knowledge. In addition to the skills acquired
at business schools, companies now expect their managers and their teams to also master technical, technological and scientific knowledge… and to be able to integrate this knowledge into their thinking
and decision-making.

This is why, in September 2024, IÉSEG opens a new joint Bachelor’s degree with RUBIKA in Management
and Tech Design
, a new “Data Management for Business” apprenticeship program in partnership with Le Wagon, and three new double degrees with CentraleSupélec for its Grande École Program students.IÉSEG thus continues to implement its strategic plan by strengthening interdisciplinary teaching, and in each case relying on prestigious institutions recognized in their fields of expertise

The “Bachelor of Business in Data Analytics”, a new Bachelor’s degree in partnership with Le Wagon

In a world where technology and data are everywhere, and where managers need advanced technical and analytical knowledge to make the right decisions thanks to data analysis, IÉSEG will be launching a new Bachelor’s degree in September 2025, in partnership with Le Wagon, one of the world’s leading coding and data schools, which has trained 22,000 people in Tech professions since 2013.

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Entitled “Bachelor of Business in Data Analytics”, this new Bachelor will equip students with cutting-edge business knowledge (Management, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Logistics, Information Systems, etc.), while providing them with solid skills in Mathematics, Statistics, Python programming and Cybersecurity. Students will apply their learning through numerous practical experiences, including an interdisciplinary project focusing on entrepreneurship and two internships.

Thanks to a partnership with Le Wagon, students will have the opportunity to take part in a 9-week bootcamp on one of 4 themes: “Data Science & AI”, “Data Analytics”, “Web Development” and ‘Growth Marketing’. These bootcamps are organized in a number of countries in Europe, Asia and North America, giving students a high-level international experience.

Once they have graduated from the Bachelor of Business in Data Analytics, students will be able to enter a highly promising job market. Indeed, this program enables students to acquire the advanced practical skills sought after by all companies, and will enable them to take up positions in data science, business intelligence, marketing analysis, financial analysis, etc.

This new program, which will stimulate innovation and success, will equip our students with essential skills in data and digital technologies, preparing them to manage their teams and drive their businesses in the digital age.

Robert JOLIET, Academic Director of IÉSEG PGE and Director of Academic Development in France

Fostering all talent, a strong daily commitment

In today’s fast-changing society, where many young people are gradually losing their bearings, IÉSEG places its students more than ever at the heart of its educational project, offering them a unique and engaging learning experience to help them discover themselves, grow and find their place in tomorrow’s world.

The student experience, a key differentiator for IÉSEG

IÉSEG offers its students a unique and engaging intercultural learning experience. To this end, the School provides cutting-edge teaching in all subjects, thanks to a top-notch faculty (208 permanent professors, all with PhDs, from 54 different countries).

At the same time, the Direction of Studies and Student Experience strives to provide students with personalized support on a daily basis, in order to meet their needs as closely as possible, whether in terms of academic success, personal development, well-being. In the last academic year, no fewer than 1,200 educational assessment meetings were held with Bachelor students. This year, these meetings have also been extended to the Master’s cycle.

IÉSEG also pays particular attention to the health of its students, deploying a range of special services to help and support them on a daily basis. Students have access to free medical appointments, notably with a team of psychologists who provide support in French or English to any student who needs it. The healthcare unit (Mission Accompagnement Santé) manages specific course arrangements, while the handicap-dedicated unit supports students with disabilities throughout their studies.

Finally, personalized student support also includes financial assistance for those facing financial difficulties or life accidents (death of a parent, loss of a guarantor’s job, etc.). IÉSEG is very attentive to these situations and does not hesitate to step in to help students pursue their studies in the best possible conditions. With this in mind, the School develops its Foundation, supported by its graduates and corporate partners. For example, COFIDIS has committed €300K to IÉSEG’s Equal Opportunity program, and the School signed a long-term partnership with Télémaque. The number of apprentices has also risen sharply, almost doubling in the past 2 years.

Special student status for entrepreneurs and top athletes

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Over the past few years, an increasing number of students have been looking to follow a demanding academic path to earn a degree recognized both in France and internationally, yet without neglecting their personal projects, whether entrepreneurial or athletic. This is why IÉSEG created, in September 2023, specific statuses (student entrepreneurs and high-level sports students) for these enriched and unconventional profiles.

The aim is to enable them to attend classes while developing their project. They benefit from special arrangements in their studies, regular follow-up with a dedicated contact person from the Studies Department, or from the IÉSEG Incubator for entrepreneurs, and can carry out their internships, gap year or final-year consulting project within their own company.

As of September 2024, these students will be able to follow the specific “Entrepreneurship” pathway developed as part of the revamping of the Grande École Program, offering them a specific organization (concentration of courses over part of the week, adaptation of hours, etc.) to better meet their needs while maintaining the same high academic standards.

In the previous academic year, 175 students entrepreneurs and 22 top-level athletes benefited from this special status.

The implementation of these specific statuses was a strong commitment in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.
The flexibility and support offered by IÉSEG will enable these students to make the most of their dual experience.

A 2027 trajectory in line with the strategic plan

In a highly competitive, fast-changing environment, IÉSEG continues to pursue a course rooted in solid fundamentals: the academic rigor and relevance of its programs, personal and professional support for its students, an intercultural and interdisciplinary learning environment, commitment and social responsibility. This is the DNA of the IÉSEG project, which produces graduates appreciated by companies in France and abroad. To develop this project, the School relies on a sound and solid financial structure and has invested over €100M since the launch of its strategic plan in 2022.

For the second half of its strategic plan, IÉSEG will continue to invest and recruit at the same steady pace, reaching a budget of over €130M by 2027, and continuing to train changemakers for a better society.