ESSCA School of Management is unveiling an update to its “Odyssée 20/24” strategic plan two years after its official launch and built on five main objectives: the opening of new premises in Europe, the growth of its commitment to CSR, the creation of an enriched and responsible student experience, development of its programmes, and the overhaul of the school’s brand identity.
Via this daring plan, ESSCA clearly displays its intention of becoming one of the top 10 French and top 30 European schools of Management, and in so doing it will offer some of the very best working, research and teaching conditions by 2024.
An evolving international positioning with Europe at its core
Two years after the official launch of its “Odyssée 20/24” strategic plan, ESSCA will be enhancing its international developments and has decided to re-focus some of its energies on Europe. The school has therefore chosen to join the European Space for Higher Education set-up.
With campuses already present in six French towns and cities (Aix-en-Provence, Angers, Bordeaux, Lyon, Paris, and Strasbourg) and two abroad (Budapest and Shanghai), ESSCA can now announce the opening of two new premises in Europe:
Malaga, Spain: the school will open its ninth campus in Malaga in September 2023.
The campus will initially welcome French and international ESSCA students as part of the study abroad component of their programmes and, from 2024, will recruit its very first degree-granting cohort, as well as opening new programmes.
“Malaga is a town on a sharp economic rise that is unrivalled in the region, which can be partly explained by the amount of investment into an attractive technological hub for companies from around the world, such as Google. The dynamism of Malaga can also be attributed to the presence of many students from across the globe. Of the 150,000 students officially accounted for Spain, almost 35,000 are studying here in Malaga!”
For Stéphanie VILLEMAGNE, ESSCA Director of Operations and International Development
Luxemburg: To strengthen its European presence, ESSCA is also planning to open a new office in Luxemburg by January 2024. This will enable the school to train future managers in response to the skills expected by local companies in the areas of auditing and asset management.
ESSCA also intends to prioritise the recruitment of students from bordering countries and to facilitate inter-campus mobility, all with due care and attention paid to carbon footprint levels.
“These two new opportunities have been created in line with the current geopolitical context and our “Odyssée 20/24” strategic plan”. In so doing, we are looking to encourage the intra-European mobility of our students in full awareness of our societal responsibility. This will, above all, enable us to make the various administrative steps less onerous and reduce their carbon footprint. By deciding to establish our presence in three further important locations in Europe, ESSCA is also looking to become a major participant in the various national policies that will be taken there. This territorial proximity will provide a solid basis for our international outreach.”
states Jean CHARROIN, Dean of ESSCA School of Management.
Supporting the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Objectives at all institutional levels
In addition to solidarity induction weeks organised since 2021 with Splash Projects and in 2022 with Make Sense, the ESSCA Student Experience Department will also be offering students throughout the year activities designed to make an impact, thereby resulting in an enriched and responsible student experience for those who take advantage.
ESSCA also aims to achieve carbon neutrality for all its campuses by 2035. To reach this target, the school is devising an overhaul of its premises, including in Aix-en-Provence and Bordeaux, and to examine the possibility of innovative and responsible financial participation.
A new platform showcasing research within ESSCA
Programme and teaching news
Since 2020, ESSCA has successfully adapted its programme portfolio to meet the latest societal and economic challenges.
The school has launched ESSCA Online Campus, a 100% online campus that trains “Next Gen Leaders” in emerging issues such as cryptocurrencies and “green and digital” transformation.
In March 2022, the school also announced the overhaul of its Masters Grande Ecole programme, to offer industry-relevant skills adapted to the requirements of companies and organisations, thereby ensuring successful entry into working life. The overhaul is also intended to strengthen the culture and hybridisation within the programme.
The school also intends to increase its growth rate in the area of Executive Education by rolling out new RNCP qualifications and inter-company training. In June 2022, the school sealed a partnership with Agence Déclic, a consulting firm that provides support to companies, communities, and organisations in reaching their CSR targets. This partnership will enable ESSCA to offer company heads and employees as well as communities training programmes of high added value in order to develop their own responsible strategies.
ESSCA reveals its new brand identity
As part of the update of its “Odyssée 20/24” strategic plan, ESSCA also formally announced the overhaul of its brand identity underpinned by a federating tagline: “Creating Futures”.
ESSCA School of Management is now emblazoned with:
A new logo, which is declined in red, the historic school colour, and a winged key, which from now on is integrated into a shield to illustrate the school’s heritage. And a new tagline, produced in English only to reinforce the school’s international outreach.
The overhaul of ESSCA’s brand identity, the result of a collaborative working effort involving all stakeholders, enables the school to more clearly affirm the three main distinguishing factors that are its strength:
- Balancing demand and goodwill
- Local attachment and international deployment
- Agility to make a positive impact