IÉSEG has unveiled early in September its new strategic plan for “2016-2021” which has been approved this summer by the Board of Trustees. Drawing on the results of a collective Vision process involving the whole IÉSEG community, the new plan aims to position IÉSEG among the best international business schools.
Jean-Philippe AMMEUX, Director of the School, noted: “Over a period of 18 months, the whole IÉSEG community (students, academic and administrative staff, alumni, corporate representatives) took part in a deep visioning process to define what the School will be in 2025. This collaborative process was based on a thorough analysis of the School’s strengths, areas for improvement, its roots and values, as well as an identification of future trends in society and higher education.”
“The new Vision, which has emerged from this exercise, is that in 2025 ‘IÉSEG is a unique international hub empowering changemakers for a better society’. We have now developed a strategic plan to implement this Vision, which will allow us to consolidate the developments of recent years and strengthen the unique position of the school,” he adds.
The School has identified three principal axes to develop this unique positioning, to achieve its mission and its objectives:
- developing a unique student learning experience,
- the international reputation of research,
- and the international orientation of the School and its multicultural community.
Three axes of differentiation
These three axes of differentiation are integrated into a comprehensive approach based on the values of the School and, in particular, its focus on responsibility and the commitment of the entire IÉSEG community. 
Regarding the intercultural learning experience, a new teaching and learning strategy – with student engagement at its core – is being implemented progressively across the School. This strategy seeks to promote active & adaptive learning and will also put a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and the development of students’ competences (academic, managerial, interpersonal and intercultural, and cognitive).
To implement this educational strategy, the School’s Center for Educational and Technological Innovation will be strengthened, in particular to enable the effective integration of new technologies in teaching and learning. In addition, IÉSEG has also created a division that deals with the personal competences & intercultural skills, and 50 new professors will be recruited by 2021, who will all take a certificate in teaching and will be coached on the implementation of School’s teaching and learning strategy.
In terms of research, the aim is to build an internationally recognized and distinctive knowledge hub through academic and applied research. The School, which has always placed research at the heart of its activities, plans to recruit more senior researchers in the different management disciplines, and increase collaborations with companies. By 2021, it also plans to create three new centers of expertise (in addition to the three existing centers focusing on marketing analytics and big data, organizational responsibility, and international negotiation) and new Chairs in partnership with business.
Finally, IÉSEG will continue to develop its international and multicultural approach to all its activities, and consolidate its position among the world’s best institutions for international orientation (diversity of students, staff and faculty, academic mobility of students, internships, academic partnerships …etc). It plans, for example, to attract more international students, to expand its range of double degree programs and partnerships with international schools / universities. In parallel, IÉSEG has also put in place a specific training program in intercultural skills, for all students and the entire academic and administrative staff.
The implementation of the strategic plan Programs and staff: Over the next 5 years, IÉSEG plans to strengthen the reputation of its programs. For the Grande École Master in Management program, the goal is to consolidate its position in France and attract more international students. Regarding the Bachelor and ‘postgraduate’ (MSc and MBA) programs, IÉSEG will look to strengthen their reputation so they gradually become references in their fields at the national and international level.
In parallel, the School plans to expand both its range of Executive Education as well as double degree programs combining different subjects; For example it has just launched a new program in International Business and Law with the Faculté de Droit de l’Université Catholique de Lille. The School therefore foresees that the number of overall students will continue to rise, but more slowly than in recent years (7% per year as opposed to 13% per year), to reach 6 000 in 2021.
Campuses: The main objective is to continue the development and expansion of the 2 campuses in Lille and Paris – La Défense. A new 8,000 m² building in the heart of La Défense is currently under construction. Once completed in 2017, the Paris campus will almost double its capacity (students and staff). Moreover, IÉSEG also plans to expand its Lille campus in the coming years.
Some measures / targets for 2021 outlined the strategic plan
• 6000 students (3000 in Lille and 3000 in Paris-La Défense)
• 300 international academic partners
• 5 new transdisciplinary double degree programs
• 50 new professors