EM Normandie Business School is building a new learning model

On 15 November 2022, EM Normandie set out its roadmap for the coming months with two major innovations. Firstly, the building of its new, EdTech-based learning model to enhance the student experience, which will require significant investment, and secondly the implementation of a structured action plan to become an organisation with a positive social and environmental impact by 2030, led by the new Social and Environmental Impact Direction (DISE), which is at the heart of EM Normandie’s School for Good engagement strategy. Elian Pilvin, Dean and Director General, also presented key figures for 2022-23 and reiterated EM Normandie’s position, underlining its ambition to become the number one world-class French higher education institution for teaching and post-Baccalaureate research.

The 2030 strategic goals are focused on international issues, an augmented student experience, and social and environmental impact

The 2030 Strategic Goals, which were unveiled in August 2021, are currently on track.

Worlds to Explore 

A new campus of its own in Dubai opened in October 2022. For its first year in operation, it will welcome students from the Master’s in Management (Programme Grande Ecole) (Undergraduate 3 and M1 levels). It then plans to recruit international students onto its Bachelor’s in International Management, MSc International Marketing and Business Development and MSc International Logistics and Port Management programmes.

The campus in Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) will be launched in 2023/24, followed by the Americas campus in 2024/25. At the same time, EM Normandie is increasing its portfolio of prestigious international partner universities, with more than 200 in 60 countries.

An augmented student experience through the implementation of a new EdTech-based learning model:

• WARD: WARD is a collaborative, multimedia tool serving the entire EM Normandie community. Its high-performance AI offers customised paths and personalised, real-time suggestions, a wider range of content, and algorithms to personalise and enhance learning. It is also a first step towards the metaverse.
• The primary mission of the Teaching Innovation and Teacher Support Hub is to get all stakeholders involved in implementing EM Normandie’s new learning model. The aim is to create a new learning ecosystem that is more engaging, interactive and collaborative, with a new learning approach based on technical and artificial intelligence architecture, redesigned learning spaces, and teaching staff who are aware and prepared for the paradigm shift in their profession. The project’s core goal is to create an augmented learning experience by personalising the learning path and immersing students in the application of their knowledge by simulating work situations.

An organisation prepared for major changes

True to its purpose of “inspiring and training the generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow to become stakeholders in a sustainable world”, and as a pioneer in social engagement since it was founded in 1871 (by offering international access and cementing local ties, opening up to women, etc.), EM Normandie is now committed to transforming its own model so that it has a positive environmental and social impact by 2030. The school will work alongside UTOPIES, a French sustainable development consultancy firm, to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in this change, including employees, students, institutions and partners. It has set up a new Social and Environmental Impact Direction (DISE) led by Solène Heurtebis and staffed by around half a dozen people. Its aims are based on three main pillars:

• Campus for Good

The school is implementing an ambitious action plan to reduce the carbon footprint per head, and therefore move towards a carbon-neutral institution. It intends to make its campuses more sustainable day-to-day places, which reflect better compliance with environmental and social standards.

1. Measure campus’ carbon footprints and implement corrective actions,
2. Make progress on individual practices (recycling, responsible use),
3. Soft mobility and energy saving plans,
4. Sustainable and responsible procurement policy,
5. Community action in the school’s local territories,
6. Third-party site for impactful businesses.

• Knowledge for Good

The objective is to incorporate the “Good” dimension into all programmes on a wide scale to train the responsible leaders of tomorrow.

1. Create a centre of excellence and a 'Business and Human Rights' Chair,
2. Launch the Sustainability path, which is mandatory training on social and environmental issues for all students (students receive the Sulitest Certificate — EM Normandie partner organisation — when they leave the school),
3. Social issues at the core of 20% of classes in all disciplines, for all programmes (Master in Management, Bachelor, BBA, MS/MSc),
4. Train and engage teaching staff to incorporate SD/CSR into their classes, 
5. Launch the CSR Project — Responsible path — for first-year BBA students (already taught in the Master in Management and the Bachelor’s),
6. Work with flagship NGO The Shift Project,
7. Work on the developing impactful businesses which serve our region through our student incubator.

• People for Good

EM Normandie wants to become a school which is one step ahead of the challenges of its time, by encouraging its entire community to follow a path towards social and environmental engagement. We want it to be a Good Place to Be, led by Good People.

1. Set up an individual passport for impact, skills and social and environmental engagement for both students and employees. It will be shared with school stakeholders and will allow everyone to add their real impact to the actions of others.
2. Train and support employees on social and environmental issues,
3. Obtain the LGBT certification label,
4. Obtain the diversity certification label,
5. Work with EM Normandie’s Student Federation to create a CSR engagement charter for all student associations,
6. Promote the actions and initiatives of students, employees, Alumni and partner companies and universities, who have been personally and consistently committed to the social and environmental transition.

A new “School for Good for Life… for All” philosophy

 “We have eight years to implement all of these commitments and many others, so that EM Normandie can truly become a School for Good for Life by 2030. To ensure that the school is “for All”, we are creating the School for Good Assembly, a body which will ensure not only that everyone can get involved, but also that we implement all our commitments. This is a unique body which will play a role in decisions relating to the school’s day-to-day activities, based on the principles of representative democracy. EM Normandie is embarking on a new chapter.” concludes Elian Pilvin.