A double ceremony was held on December 6 in recognition of the tireless work of two ESSEC professors, Thierry Sibieude and Franck Vallerugo, both of whom were presented with the National Order of Merit.

Respectively Holder and co-founder of the Chair for Social Entrepreneurship, and Co-Director for the Chair of Urban Economics and the Institute for Urban and Regional Management, Professors Sibieude and Vallerugo have put considerable time and energy into projects in aid of the public sector, as well as members of particular social strata.

Both are driving forces behind ESSEC's nationally-acclaimed scheme "A Top Business School: Why Not For Me?", the aim of which is to help high school pupils from disadvantaged social backgrounds aspire to and take up university-level studies.

The opening speech at the presentation ceremony by Henry Proglio (Chairman of Véolia Environnement) stressed the extent to which Thierry Sibieude and Franck Vallerugo's paths have crossed over the years.

Symbolically, the two proud recipients of the Order of Merit delivered a joint speech, offering further proof of their long association and a symbol of the extent to which they have devoted themselves to the common good over a number of years.