Annual report

Each year, the Foundation Prizes award the best research produced by  HEC Paris students and teachers. In 2023, the Foundation and School created a new “Faculty Impact” prize to honor a HEC Faculty member whose action, project, start-up, presentation, book or article will  have a major impact beyond the academic sphere.

For the first edition, Yann Algan, Professor of Economy and Associate Dean for Pre-experience Programs,for his  work on the role of trust in organizations and the benefits of acquiring social skills from the earliest age. The prize was officially handed  over during the ChangeNOW summit by Gilles Vermot-Desroches, Chief corporate Citizenship Officer at Schneider Electric and President of the jury.

In the context of declining public funds, the financing of infrastructures by capital investment professionals is fundamental in Europe and requires specialized yet flexible skills and expertise, to steer long-term, large-scale projects which are increasingly complex.

In order to support excellence academic teaching and practical training for high-level professionals, Antin Infrastructure Partners, a key player in this sector, has teamed up with HEC to create a Chair managed by Professor Oliver Gottschalg and to launch new certification for Master students.

Launched 12 years ago and now renamed The Future of Finance, this chair, managed by finance professor Pascal Quiry (H.84) and renewed for 3 years, focuses on the major challenges, such as CSR and impact finance, facing the world of finance in the coming years.

Thanks to the involvement of Sofia Merlo (H.85), Alain Papiasse (E.89), Sophie Javary (H.80) and David Vaillant (H.98), this new phase will enable BNP Paribas to support research via the HEC Paris Center for Impact Finance, to enrich its academic interventions with the creation of an elective Ethics & Compliance course, and to continue fostering a strong link between the business and academic spheres. Read the article.

Deepening and disseminating knowledge on the challenges of this major sector of the economy, training the future talents it needs—these are the objectives of Worldline and HEC in creating a new Chair led by David Restrepo Amariles, Associate Professor of Law and Artificial Intelligence at HEC Paris.

This teaching and research chair will support the new The Future of Money and Digital Assets Center which is responsible for creating a network of key players, academics and experts from various fields around technical and payment issues. Circle, the company behind the stablecoin, a cryptocurrency indexed against the US dollar, has joined the Center, which hopes to recruit 3 more members. See the press release.

A key patron on its launch, Capgemini is renewing its support for the interdisciplinary Hi! PARIS Center, created by HEC Paris and Institut Polytechnique de Paris in september 2020.

This commitment aims to pursue the efforts initiated in research, education and innovation in AI and data science. Their renewed support will enable the creation of fresh opportunities and strengthen impact on businesses and society, thus helping to make Hi!PARIS a world-class reference in AI and data science for science, the economy and society.

Created 5 years ago by HEC and Eloquentia and supported by individual donors, the BRED bank and the Michelin Foundation, this program has become France’s largest national public speaking competition for high school students. Its aim is to transmit the art of debating to all French high school students, in addition to introducing the world of undergraduate schools to students otherwise excluded from this opportunity.

In 2023, more than 2,000 young people were initiated in the art of public speaking through the actions of HEC Paris, the Equal Opportunities Task Force and Eloquentia. 80 of them were chosen to take part in a workshop on the Jouy-en-Josas campus, some of them taking the train for the first time! The 6 best speakers then went on to debate 3 topics before a packed audience at La Cigale: “Should We Envy Fools?”, “Is the Individual at the Service of the Collective?” and “Is the Best Yet to Come?” At just 15 years of age, Fayma, a 10th grade student at Thiers high school in Marseille, came away with the 2023 title of Best High School Speaker! 
Our aim, with your help, is to scale up and reach some 10,000 young people throughout France, in addition to inviting 200 high school students to the campus every year!

From August 24 to 30, 63 students from 32 establishments were offered classes, workshops and tutorials during the PREP’HEC pre-entry seminar, helping them to start their course on the right foot.

At the begining of the 2023 academic year, the PREP’Etoile class had 33 scholarship students in the 2nd year of the preparatory course, selected for their HEC potential.

They were welcomed by Laurence Debroux (H.92), Major Donor and sponsor of the class of 2023/2024: "PREP’Etoile is fully in keeping with the equal opportunity initiatives led by the Foundation and the School, a cause I hold dear. No matter what our personal or professional situations are, each of us knows that meeting the right person, the right piece of advice, or the right encouragement to believe in ourselves and persevere can make a huge difference, and that’s what this program is all about. I’m delighted to be this year’s sponsor."

Seminars with HEC professors were also organized to help preparatory students learn more about the opportunities offered by business schools. Lastly, the “HEC For All” preparatory course scholarship scheme, open to all French high school students since 2019, has enabled 532 preparatory students from 127 schools to approach the competitive exam period in optimal conditions. These students are scholarship recipients from the CROUS, registered for the business schools entrance exams, and recommended by their institutions. 

HEC Junior Council donated €12,000 to the HEC Foundation, to cover costs for 88 scholarship students taking the oral exams on campus, and to fund the tuition fees for one student having passed the entrance exam. A huge thank you to them for their generous support!

This major evening event, organized by Class Gift Association in the Hall of Honor just before the graduation ceremony, celebrates both the unique experience offered to HEC students and their entry into the Alumni and donors community.

Thanks to their generous support and that of the event’s sponsors, Major Donors Julie (H.96) and Karim Saddi (H.97), who made the trip from London to attend the evening, this collective donation will fund 15 scholarships for campus students.

« HEC has brought so much to our lives and careers, that we are delighted at present to be able to give some of that back. Our support for the Foundation thus enables students who otherwise lack the means to come study at HEC! » Karim and Julie Saddi.

A first give back gesture, which affirms the spirit of solidarity within the HEC community and perpetuates a wonderful HEC tradition initiated in 2005 by Marc Ramanantsoa (H.05), Michel Touati (H.05) and Jean Garandeau (H.05).

Initiated by Adrien Nussenbaum (H.01) in 2021, the program geared towards students from war-torn countries welcomed its second class at the start of the 2023 academic year.

At present, 12 students from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Belarus and Syria are following the Grande Ecole and Specialized Masters programs, thanks to grants covering all or part of their tuition fees and living expenses.

"I’m so grateful and would like to thank all those who made this program possible. Despite the challenges I have faced, I’m determined to change the world and put my knowledge to work for a more peaceful planet." Anna Bazarna (H.26) HEC Imagine Fellows, from Ukraine.

Launched in the wake of this program, the student association HEC Imagine strives to promote the program on campus and raise awareness among students and the HEC community of the role of business as a vector of world peace. 

In 2022/2023, HEC Paris launched two new elective classes on  “Business & Peace” and “Business & Human Rights”, which attracted great interest from the campus students.
These are impressive milestones for the program aimed at transforming the lives of 10 new students per year, who will in turn help us to build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Your support is essential to boost our impact!
The graduation ceremony for the first HEC Imagine Fellows on June 7, 2024 promises to be a highlight event!

With the support of the Laidlaw Foundation, the HEC Foundation launched an ambitious scholarship scheme enabling talented women to enroll in one of the world’s best MBA programs, here at HEC; a first step to boost their career and unleashing their full potential!

Each year, ten candidates with exceptional paths but facing financial hurdles will be selected to receive a scholarship covering all their tuition fees. They will then benefit from mentorship and dedicated networking opportunities to build their contacts and excel as business leaders.

To apply:  
Liesbet Corriveau : corriveau@hec.fr  
ou www.hec.edu/en/laidlawscholarsprogram

For several years now, the Foundation has officially welcomed MBA, Master and Doctoral students to the campus. These excellence scholarship students come from all over the world to study at HEC.

The welcome event offers them a chance to meet with HEC members, who share their own experiences and their pride at belonging to the HEC community. We were honored to welcome Christophe Cuvillier (H.84), Sophie (H.85) and Olivier Wigniolle (H.85). Erwann Le Lannou, from XTX Markets, was also present to hand over the first excellence scholarships to 17 students on the Data Science for Business program. Thank you so much for these moments of celebration, conviviality and pride for all the beneficiaries!

The aim of PACT Afrique is to help young African talents from the most renowned institutions in the Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Gabon to prepare for the written and oral entrance exams to the 2nd year of the Grande Ecole program. This equal opportunity scheme is run by the HEC Office in the Ivory Coast.

Thanks to the commitment of donors and corporate partners such as Schneider Electric, as well as Alumni mentors, the scheme enabled 22 new students to join the campus in September 2023, and has been presented to some 1,500 young people locally in 4 years.

To promote the program, its initiator Bertrand Schwab (H.87) traveled with Eloïc Peyrache to the Ivory Coast and met with 202 students at the INP-HB in Yamoussoukro. The aim is to increase the number of African students on campus by 15% by 2025.

« As a beneficiary of the first PACT Africa class, I’d like to express my sincere thanks to the donors for the trust they placed in us! The Foundation scholarship was truly the start of this adventure. I received invaluable help during the recruitment process and continued support during my time at HEC. Thank you for your generosity and trust. »
Marie Alexandra (H.23), from Benin

With the aim of developing deep tech training programs, XTX Markets, the leading algorithmic trading company, teamed up with HEC to create a new stream on Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence within the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Paris), the innovative program combining excellence, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.  

A partnership with University of Oxford - Saïd Business School was also set up with the support of XTX Markets, to unite start-up communities and develop international collaborations.

Schneider Electric will provide its expertise to the Deep Tech start-ups supported by this program, enabling the company to collaborate with students, mentors, entrepreneurs, scientists and academics and facilitate the emergence of solutions to climate change.

Read the press release

As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the HEC Stand Up program, a series of women’s portraits by the photographer and donor Steve Fiehl (H.88), was exhibited on campus.

What do all these women have in common? Their time at HEC, which helped them to launch their entrepreneurial career!
Steve Fiehl’s 16 superb photos illustrating these women’s doubts, dreams, courage and resilience were unveiled in the Hall of Honor in early May.

« Dear donors, your support has had a significant impact on the missions and initiatives of HEC Stand Up, thus boosting the commitments and determination of participants to succeed in this program and do their utmost to achieve their entrepreneurial goals. For my part, this training played a key role in revealing my skills and served as a genuine preincubator for our start-up. In less than 2 months, we began to generate income. »
Fatoumata Kebe, participant on the program in 2022 and co-founder of Beauté INÉE

As a Major Donor and Legacy Benefactor of the Foundation, Philippe Foriel-Destezet (H.58) made a generous bequest, which the Foundation, in agreement with his family and the School, decided to dedicate in part to the development of the HEC Startup Launchpad program, a value that Philippe embodied so well.

Out of the projects supported, 40% were launched after the program with an exceptional survival rate of 70% at three years. Consolidating the academic and operational team in the long-term was a priority for the School, which this major donation has helped to achieve. For the first time, all the students were given the opportunity to test their pitch in English before a panel of capital risk firms and business developers in London.  
A milestone moment for the future generation of HEC entrepreneurs!
Read the article

Each year, thanks to the generosity of Pascal Cagni (MBA.86), 3 students from NYU get a unique opportunity to spend a trimester in Paris and discover HEC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by working alongside students on a business creation project within the Launchpad and the Incubator. This memorable experience has a major impact on these young people’s lives and career hopes.

Our thanks to Pascal for this support which helps to position HEC as a leading venue for innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe.

« I’m very proud to have participated in this program which helped me to launch my first start-up within Launchpad and the Incubator. This unique experience took me out of my comfort zone. I learned to design and implement solutions adapted specifically to social impact, an area I would like to devote my energy to in the future.»

Dimitri Pun, recipient of a Cagni Foundation scholarship

Nexans, HEC Paris and the Foundation launched the Chair to be directed by Sebastian Becker, Associate Professor to the Accounting & Auditing Department, in the aim of guiding companies towards more sustainability.

It also plans to draft a case study on the transformation path of Nexans, involve representatives in a HEC certificate in sustainability and climate change, and participate in events organized by the S&O Institute.

« It’s a real honor for me to work alongsideNexans and form ties between HEC, the program's participants and Nexans. This collaboration will benefit from teaching and research in the managerial issues of financial, environmental and social performance steering. » Sebastian Becker, Professor and holder of the Nexans Chair

Read the article

In 2003, HEC Paris created France’s first Master in Sustainable Development and Social Innovation. 300 of the program’s alumni reunited on campus to celebrate the 20th anniversary in the presence of Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot (H.88),Co-Founder of the S&O Institute and Executive Director of the Inclusive Economy Center at HEC Paris. Read the article.

The event was an opportunity for Jérémy Ghez to hand over the academic management of the program to Professor François Gemenne, IPCC expert and newly hired by HEC Paris.

In response to exceptional demand on the part of students and businesses, the Master took in 100 students in 2023/2024.

Co-founded by HEC Paris and Schneider Electric in early 2023, the Impact Company Lab is a leading experimentation platform focused on concretely growing Companies’ ability to drive a just transition in a rapidly changing world. Run by Professor Marieke Huysentruyt from HEC's Inclusive Economy Center (S&O), the Impact Company Lab delivers value at 3 levels:

• redefines & Convenes Impact Leadership: build a global community of global  Frontier Impact Companies & Frontier Leaders,  harness their experiences, their specific drivers & their collective transformation power to narrow gaps between impact intentions and results (where it matters most)
• applies future-focused & bold thinking to universal business impact related challenges: identify new perspectives and drive paradigm shifts (harness thinking & potential change opportunities in a horizon 2050 and focus on the megacities of the world which is where a just transition will be most)
• design, experiment & scientifically assess impact initiatives with the potential to drive systemic progress: creating a body of compelling evidence for the leaders of  today and of tomorrow.

This initiative consolidates the School’s position on ESG issues, an area in which HEC has been actively involved for more than 15 years.

In March 2023, the Sustainability & Organizations Institute organized the first edition of Purpose Day at the Philanthro-Lab in Paris, attracting around a hundred participants.

The event offered an opportunity to discover the research carried out by 4 PhD students, and to measure the impact of the Purpose Center’s activities thanks to Professor Rodolphe Durand (H.93 – D.97), holder of the Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership created in 2018.

Another highlight of this edition was the talk by Denis Machuel, CEO of Adecco group, on the importance of offering authentic purpose and how this can serve as a compass for businesses.

HEC Paris, the Foundation and Mazars launched a corporate Chair in early September devoted to enlightened leadership in the field of governance, consulting and multi-capital accounting.

The chair’s 3-year research period on ESG reporting will be managed by Professor Luc Paugam and will include a case study on key performance indicators as well as extra-financial reporting frameworks. Mazars will be involved at various academic levels and will take part in the future certificate, which aims to revisit company management from the perspective of 'conscious management'.

Read the article

These major transformational donations are used to fund large-scale projects, infrastructure or endowments that create a considerable impact on the development and influence of HEC Paris.

The worlds of teaching, research and business come together in our Corporate Initiatives and Research Chairs. For the School, these programs are a means to promote research and student training in previously identified fields. They are designed to provide companies with resources to respond to their strategic challenges and boost their innovation capacity.

Creating a Corporate Initiative or Research Chair in your name is a unique opportunity to stand out from your competitors on major strategic issues and to be a pioneer with a vision!
 

Each of our Centers and Institutes is based on a three-pronged approach: research, teaching and action, and focuses on a major cross-disciplinary theme through extensive interaction with students and leading academic and business players.