In Grenoble, More Than Terrific Views

From there we have a clear strategy: Succeed in evolving from a business school to a school for business for society.

The thing to understand is that a business school has a duty beyond its mission. Of course, we must always accompany the performance of companies. But compared to what we live, terrorism and the war against terrorism, our school must also engage and try to bring his own contributions — for instance by the values that we disseminate to our students: benevolence, openness to others, but also courage, commitment, responsibility.

Students must understand, besides their professional career, they’ll have to protect the world. Protect our democracies. It is on this program for GEM but also for French business schools that I was elected and reelected president of the association of the top French business schools.

Secondly, of course, GEM has a very strong identity in innovation, technology management, entrepreneurship.

Thirdly,  we believe it’s important to give to the students abilities not only in management sciences but also in geopolitics, in philosophy, in literature, condition for them to be able to develop an ethical attitude (inside the company but also outside).

What is Grenoble doing differently to attract MBA students? What new ideas and attractions do you offer? What new direction are you going in? 

Beyond our values, our commitment to live in a perfect alignment with the world around us, the imperative to take part in defence of our democracies, our positioning in innovation is crucial and unique in France. The research we do with companies on renewable energy, biohealth, biotech, etc., make GEM one of the first business schools in France and the 20th in Europe (FT ranking 2016).

We also have other strenghts. Research about the mindfulness, the relationship between well-being at work and sustainable performance, customer satisfaction, etc. All these areas are specialties that we offer to our MBA students.

Among our projects, our alliance with another French top business school is a strong point. We have some reflections to develop joint programs, including an MBA program with the ambition to make one of the world’s best MBAs.

What must be understood is that a student comes in a MBA program for the values of the school, its positioning, its ranking, the city, and the country, and naturally the possibility to integrate the best network as possible. An MBA is an investment. Students want the best return on this investment.

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