During a press conference organized at ESSEC Executive Education's campus in La Défense, Vincenzo Vinzi, Dean and President of ESSEC Business School, spoke about the start of the 2022/2023 academic year and the new initiatives to be introduced. Anne-Claire Pache, Associate Dean for Global Strategy and Sustainability, also announced new measures and achievements in line with the school's strategic priorities.
ESSEC presents its latest news for the start of the 2022/2023 academic year
10.10.2022
A successful start to the academic year, with new programs that reflect students' aspirations
At the Grande Ecole level, ESSEC welcomed 892 new students this fall. Approximately half of these were admitted by competitive entrance examination (in the pre-master's program) and the other half on the basis of their qualifications (in the master's program), including more than 300 (approximately 70%) international students. At the Master's level, the school has 834 students. A little more than half (441) have enrolled in programs accredited by the French government as a Master's degree (finance, data sciences & business analytics, strategy & management of international business, etc.). Thirty-seven of them make up the first intake of the Msc in Sustainability Transformation, one of the school's new programs. It aims to recruit and train "sustainability transformers".
The Global BBA program has 680 students in its first year, with a significant level of selectivity in the SESAME competitive exam, as the school admitted only 10.4% of applicants. Students are spread over the Cergy, Singapore and Rabat campuses. 40% of them are international, with 62 nationalities represented. At the 3-year degree level, ESSEC is also inaugurating the ACT Bachelor, in partnership with CY Cergy Paris University. This is a cross-disciplinary program, awarding a bachelor's degree, based on a style of pedagogy that is more interactive and collaborative. Thirty-one high school graduates, selected on the basis of their academic excellence and their level of commitment, will learn how to lead projects designed to achieve ecological, civic and societal change.
A social commitment embedded in ESSEC's DNA
In 2022, ESSEC is celebrating the 20th anniversary of several flagship initiatives as part of its social impact and outreach agenda:
- the 20-year anniversary of the Social Innovation Chair, which in 2002 was the first of its kind in France to focus on social and environmental impact. Today, the Chair has 440 alumni, who contribute to the management, development and scaling of organizations that are implementing these social innovations.
- the 20-year anniversary of the "Une grande école pourquoi pas moi" ("A grande école, why not me?") program, designed to strengthen equality of opportunity. It enables high school students from working-class backgrounds to prepare for entry into higher education and, more generally, for their future career orientation, by developing the skills that will be required of them. In 20 years, ESSEC has supported 3,000 high school and middle school students from 20 partner high schools and middle schools in the Paris region, thanks to 1,000 student tutors from ESSEC.
Since the 2022 competitive entrance exam, ESSEC has also introduced the "Double Oral Call" to integrate more scholarship students into the Grande Ecole program. Apprenticeships have also been a huge success in recent years, strengthening ESSEC's diversity and social outreach. A pioneer in this field, ESSEC was the first business school in France to offer apprenticeships, and our Apprenticeship Training Center will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2023. These 30 years of apprenticeship have resulted in 1,200 partnerships with companies that host and train apprentices, and 8,200 young people who have been able to obtain an ESSEC diploma. The number of apprentices per year has passed the 1000 mark since last year.
A complete transformation of the Cergy campus
Construction work is going ahead as planned and will be completed in 2023. ESSEC will inaugurate three buildings next year:
- In the spring, the Sports & Recreation Center, a modern, multi-purpose facility that will put sports back at the center of school life. It will also be accessible to local associations, reinforcing the community's access to the Cergy-Pontoise area;
- In the fall of 2023, the Pierre Nanterme Center for Responsible Leadership, a two-story building designed for new methods of active digital pedagogy and interaction with businesses
- Finally, in the fall of 2023, the Research Green Tower, an innovative and exemplary bioclimatic building dedicated to the production of knowledge, will welcome teacher-research professors, doctoral students and academic guests during seminars.
A new partnership with the American university Carnegie Mellon University
Every generation on the labor market should be able to learn new innovative tools and have a direct impact on their business. This is why ESSEC is launching a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University in the United States to train leaders from the luxury industry on the challenges of sustainability and technological developments, particularly data, which are disrupting this industry. The program will be 100% international, based on a lifelong learning approach, with hybrid content and teaching methods, and will draw on the combined expertise of the various sectors to help make the industry more sustainable.
In 2020, ESSEC launched its new strategy, known as RISE, built around three major cornerstones that bridge the needs of society and the school's areas of expertise: Together (social and environmental transition approach), Enlightening Entrepreneurship (entrepreneurship and innovation) and the Metalab (technology and artificial intelligence).
These three key areas are the focus of significant investments made by the school, and are at the center of several announcements for the start of the 2022 academic year.
Together: ESSEC commits to reducing its carbon footprint for its students' travel by 25%
As part of its ecological and social transition process entitled "Together", ESSEC has placed student mobility at the heart of its strategic priorities with the implementation of new measures. The school aims to reduce CO2 emissions from student travel by 25% by 2025. Three key factors have been taken into account to achieve this objective: the frequency of travel, the means of transport chosen, and the geographical destination.
Enlightening Entrepreneurship: ESSEC launches the "Leading a Scale-Up" Chair with the support of Alcméon, Colonies and In Extenso
ESSEC Business School announces the creation of the "Leading a Scale-Up" Chair in partnership with Alcméon, Colonies, In Extenso and its subsidiary In Extenso Innovation Croissance, which will offer a unique specialization track for students in the Grande Ecole program. The first class will welcome around 30 students in January 2023.
This new Chair, which is unique in the European academic landscape, brings together experts from the academic and business worlds to prepare the talent capable of supporting the development of high-growth companies in France and Europe. Thanks to these new talents, these companies will be more resilient and be able to make a strong economic and societal impact on the international stage.
Enlightening Entrepreneurship: ESSEC and CY Cergy Paris University launch the first "StartUp Studio" dedicated to Sustainable Innovation in an academic institution
In partnership with CY Cergy Paris University, ESSEC is launching a groundbreaking initiative in academia: a "StartUp Studio" dedicated to sustainable innovation. By bringing together cutting-edge innovation developed by researchers and the entrepreneurial talents of the ESSEC ecosystem, the StartUp Studio will enable the development of large-scale business projects that meet today's environmental challenges.
ESSEC Metalab: ESSEC and CentraleSupélec launch a Bachelor's program in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Management
Information technology, and in particular mass data processing and artificial intelligence, are sources of both new opportunities and challenges for organizations and societies. It is important to train young people to understand the challenges of this digital transformation of society, and to master the tools to put them to work for a more sustainable world. ESSEC Business School and CentraleSupélec have joined forces to create an international post-baccalaureate program in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Management, which aims to educate young people in data analysis, artificial intelligence and management techniques. The program will lead to a diploma awarded jointly by the two institutions.
