The beginning of a new academic year offers a dual challenge: to take stock of the year just passed and to look ahead to the new one. Rarely, though, is this vital moment of reflection boosted by as many pieces of good news as those we have enjoyed recently.

Over the summer, we were very pleased to confirm the arrival of six new professors. Professors Paul André, Sridhar Arcot, Martin Conyon, Yan Li, Jan Ondrus, and Sonja Prokopec bring with them an array of academic and professional credentials. In addition, for the first time in ESSEC’s history, the new intake of Faculty is 100% international in background.

An evolving school with facilities to match

These professors will meet with a similarly diverse student body, which continues to evolve across all programs, both in terms of gender and nationality. For the first time international students will pass the number of 1000 this year, among a total of 3700. The wide range of programs we now offer prospective students is translating into an increasingly diverse student population.

These students will be the first to benefit from the newest buildings recently inaugurated, “Le Dôme” and “Le Galion”. Both provide our students and our Faculty world-class facilities

Plaudits from the AACSB and the press

The richness of the education dispensed at ESSEC received a further boost this summer with official confirmation by the AACSB of our successful application for maintenance of accreditation for the next 5 years. Such stamps of approval are of great importance to our institution, as well as serving as a timely reminder of the need to carry on the good work.

The month of September saw the publication of two international rankings, conducted by the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. The appearance of the ESSEC Specialized Master’s in Strategy and Management of International Business (5th  in the FT) and the ESSEC MBA (7th  in the WSJ according to the opinion of international recruiters) underlines the great strides made by our School, both on the European and world scenes. Added to continued remarkable performances in French national rankings, the future is bright indeed.

International alumni to the fore

Finally recent months have been marked by impressive efforts, all around the world, to promote ESSEC’s values and brand name, by alumni and senior ESSEC officials, in Geneva in September, in Sao Paulo and New York on October 4th and 6th, and in Seoul, Tokyo, and Beijing at the end of October/beginning of November. We would like to warmly thank our ESSEC alumni communities for their fabulous welcome and organization!

Whilst this is certainly no time for complacency, we can definitely be proud of such a positive, upward trend. My thanks go to all members of ESSEC’s ever-growing community for the sterling effort put in to achieving such results. The 2007-08 academic year promises much indeed.

Pierre Tapie,
Dean & President, ESSEC Business School