Rahel and Alexandro arrived in Montpellier at the end of August and are our new laureates of the International Excellence Scholarships, both joined the PGE2 English course. After 3 weeks of intensive French and a period of adaptation, they are now well integrated and have started lessons.

Originally from Indonesia, Rahel holds a Bachelor of International Affairs from Bandung University, which she completed with her first professional experience as a media analyst in a public relations agency in Jakarta. Rahel is very involved in social entrepreneurship. Upon her return to Indonesia, she wishes to participate in the development of small and medium-sized entreprises in rural areas.

A native of Bolivia, Alexandro holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Santa Cruz, supplemented by a diploma in Financial Management from the same university. Vice-president of the Student Scientific Society of Economical, Financial and Managerial Sciences of his university, he is very interested in the world of Finance and more particularly in Fintech solutions.

Coming from a disadvantaged social background, they would not have been able to come to France without the financial support of the MBS Foundation for Equal Opportunities which launches an annual call for candidates. The target countries, which are different each year, are chosen by the members of the Executive Committee: they are developing countries or countries experiencing particular difficulties (war situation or very serious economic problems).

Since 2012, 17 students from Syria, Haiti, Colombia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Mali, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Peru have been able to come and complete the last two years of the Grande Ecole Program at MBS.

Through corporate donations, The MBS Foundation covers the tuition fees of the laureates and also finances living expenses.

We welcome them to Montpellier Business School.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a reference organization for its international ranking of universities, has just published its 2020 list of the best Masters in Management, Marketing and Global Finance.

This ranking takes into account five main criteria that are the employability of graduates, the diversity of students and teaching staff, intellectual leadership, the return on investment of training and the salaries of graduates.

For the second year in a row, Montpellier Business School’s Grande Ecole program has a score of 100/100 in Diversity and thus occupies the 1st place in the world and France on this criterion. In the general ranking, the different programs of the school are classified as follows:

• 12th place in France for the “Grandes Ecoles de Management” for the Grande Ecole Program;
• 8th Master in French Marketing for the MSc Marketing Program;
• 12th Master in French Finance for the MSc Finance Program.

A theme that echoes the founding values ​​of Montpellier Business School

Since September the 3^rd, the 6th edition of Start-Up week is in full swing at the Montpellier Business School campus. This team-based Business Game brings each week, and until September 20th, the 900 final year students of the Grande Ecole Program to the challenge of starting a business.

For this second week of challenge, Private Sport Shop was guiding students through the complex sports market. Yannick Léouffre explained to the graduating students that “one of the market trends is the search for autonomy among athletes.”

Thus, the theme to which entrepreneurial apprentices should have been particularly sensitive to that week was inclusion. Katherine Gundolf, Director of the Montpellier Business School Entrepreneurship Centre, said that “this theme aims to make students work around concepts that are both innovative and respectful of diversity, two characteristic values of Montpellier Business School.”

A rich diversity in entrepreneurial projects proposed by students

As usual, five projects faced each other in a final phase of pitching before all the students and a jury of experts assessing the innovative character, financial realism and launch strategy of the start-up.

Each group decided to integrate inclusion and diversity at a different stage of the creative process. For the B&Fit group, a range of smart sportswear that adapts to everybody’s morphology, as well as for Safe Finder, an electronic bracelet for issuing an alert in case of aggression, the choice was to integrate the inclusion notion as early as possible to the Business Model and thus facilitate the practice of sport for a specific target.

For two other groups, the idea was not to create a product but to reinvent an existing concept and put it at the service of CSR: To Gather chose to ride the wave of “plogging” (running while picking up waste) organizing a series of official races whose proceeds would be donated to several associations. The second group, meanwhile, imagined a sports coaches agency delivering their services to businesses with the particularity of training and engaging only former prisoners whose reintegration into the job market can be difficult.

Nevertheless, one group has managed to emerge from the game thanks to a very well identified need: Smart Swim. “We started from a simple video, where we found that in official competition, we hit the visually impaired swimmers on their heads so that they know when to turn at the end of the pool.” Smart Swim is similar to swimming goggles, with the particularity of emitting a vibration when the swimmer is about to change lanes or to hit the end of the pool. “This product is not just for blind swimmers. It can be for all swimmers who prefer to focus on their performance, rather than on their correct trajectory. Sport for everyone.”

For nearly 12 years, the Montpellier Business School Foundation for Equal Opportunities, under the auspices of the “Fondation de France”, has raised funds to support Montpellier Business School’s social policy. Thanks to sponsors and donor companies, more than 400 students were able to benefit from aid totalling more than 15 million euros.

Helping each student to achieve success regardless of his family and financial situation

The Scholarship Ceremony will take place at Montpellier Business School on November 21^st. This event celebrates the skills, academic level and overall potential of students through the award of:

• Excellence scholarships, which cover the full cost of training for designated students on social and academic criteria.
• International scholarships of excellence that include training costs and living expenses for students recruited in developing countries, with the help of French embassies abroad.
• Employee Scholarship for which all Montpellier Business School employees are mobilized.
• The first alumni scholarship announced at the Di-Day Meet your Network on April 12th.

Other scholarships are also awarded annually to apprentices: these are App’titude scholarships, which supplement apprentices’ remuneration in order to ensure the unforeseen events related to the pace of training.

The Foundation also supports and encourages entrepreneurship with the Young Innovative and Responsible Business Award for young entrepreneurs, students or graduates for less than three years. It evaluates the financial realism, the quality of the business plan, the innovative character and the contribution to the defence of the values of openness, responsibility and overall performance of the project. In 2019, Valentin and Pia won the € 10 000 to finance their start-up. Discover their story here.

A Foundation fully dedicated to equal opportunities

The specificity of the Montpellier Business School Foundation lies in the fact that 100% of donations are reinvested in actions related to equal opportunities. This is the purpose of the Montpellier Business School Foundation for Equal Opportunities: to fund various schemes to help students socially and financially.

The actions of the Montpellier Business School Foundation for Equal Opportunities are therefore not limited to scholarships. To find out more about all the schemes funded by the Foundation, click here.

At the beginning of every school year, curiosity, unknown and new projects jostle in the head of all students, but the fear of failure can be an obstacle to taking initiative. This Tuesday, September 10th was therefore the ideal day to lift these potential brakes and welcome in the premises of Montpellier Business School Philippe CROIZON. Philippe is a former worker who became adventurer and athlete after he lost all his members. He came to share his story with the freshmen of the Grande Ecole Program.

The entourage, humour and sports: Philippe CROIZON’s three resilience tools

“When you have a crisis, a break-up or an accident, you go through the famous five phases of resilience. First is abnegation; we refuse what happens to us. Then there is the negotiation with oneself. It is generally followed by depression, anger and finally acceptance. The phases have no predefined order and especially no predefined duration”, said Philippe CROIZON after explaining the circumstances of his accident.

To accelerate this resilience, Mr. CROIZON relied on three pillars: the entourage that offered him his autonomy. Sport, which encourages to surpassing oneself. And humour, which punctuated the entirety of the conference and which also helps play down the situation.

« Impossible does not exist » 

Sport was the main theme throughout Philippe CROIZON’s life course. “My first challenge was being able to walk for my grandparents’ 50 years of marriage. When I was admitted to the Rehabilitation Centre, I was told “For you, nothing is forbidden; you have to try everything possible”. Once this first bet won, Philippe’s other challenges were: a parachute jump with his son, the participation in the Paris-Dakar, then the famous crossing of the Channel and the challenge of connecting all five continents swimming.

«You have got to dare. Impossible does not exist. These are only inhibitors that we put upon ourselves. I tend to follow an idea and be afraid only after receiving all the information. This is why one must set and commit to one’s goals before doubt arises. “

Communication and Teamwork: Self-giving is just as important as surpassing oneself

While preparing to cross the Channel, Philippe CROIZON surrounded himself with a sports coach, doctors and his companion, Suzana Sabino. “The essential thing when you put a team together is communication. Silence is a real poison. Caregivers are just as important as those who perform the challenge on D-Day. Self-giving is just as important as surpassing oneself. That is why at the end of a challenge, I never say “I succeeded” but “we succeeded”.

The conference ended with the admiration and applause of the 500 students of the Grande Ecole Program, ready to take on new challenges and overcome the impossible.

Start-Up Week is back on the campus of Montpellier Business School for a 6th edition. Until September 20th, this team-based Business Game challenges each week the 900 final year students of the Grande Ecole Program to start a business.

Supervised by a dozen expert coaches, the 127 teams are trying to reinvent this year the companies of the sports sector. A small novelty of this edition, the sport theme is divided into 3 sub-segments of the market to renew the challenge and concepts every week. For this first round, the apprentice entrepreneurs have focused their skills and creativity around outdoor sport.

Private Sport Shop launches the expert conferences and shares market trends

Yannick Léouffre, CEO of PRIVATE SPORT SHOP, leader of private sales of sports equipment and publishing partner, has agreed to inaugurate this sports week with an opening conference delivering the main issues and opportunities of the sports market. “The spectrum of the sports market is very broad,” explains Vanessa Motais, Chargé de Mission at the Montpellier Business School Entrepreneurship Centre. “This can range from the equipment sector, to broadcast rights, to innovations in the disciplines themselves “.

Yannick Léouffre explained to the graduating students that “there are five major market trends. Athletes are looking for more autonomy and want to practice without a club or license. The angle of well-being is gaining momentum, and it is the practice of outdoor sports which completes the podium of customer needs”.

A successful simulation resulting in eligible concepts within the incubator of the Entrepreneurship Centre

At the end of this intensive and challenging week, students played the pitch game in front of a jury of professionals. “In addition to innovation and the concept, each group had to take into account the financial realism and the launching strategy required in the context of a simulation of fundraising,” explains Cédrine Joly, Director of the Grande Ecole Program.

The top five projects competed in a final phase of pitches in front of their comrades and a jury of experts. While some students surfed the trend of dating apps, electric bikes or collaborative economy systems like BlablaCar, the first place was disputed by Altibuzz, a vibrating altimeter to tell the user when to trigger his parachute, and Lensup, a virtual reality solution that transforms the real surroundings into a video game. After a slight suspense, it was ultimately the second group, with the larger target and relying on the successes of the video game market as Pokémon Go, who won this first week of challenge.

“The projects presented this week were of very good quality and can be incubated within the Entrepreneurship Centre for students who wish to do so. This is the opportunity to remind people that the Montpellier Business School incubator is open to all: students, graduates, teachers, professionals from the region … “concludes Katherine Gundolf, Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre.

I discover the city and choose the activities that suit me

Whatever the season, Montpellier is a city in perpetual motion. Whether it is in Montpellier Business School, the associations or the city, there are so many gatherings that it is sometimes difficult to choose amongst all the activities and events on offer. 

On campus, the BDE and associations can show the students around. In the city, some very good tour guides are available to help you discover the city in summertime.

The tourism office provides here a referencing of all possible activities:

• Meetings 
• Nature 
• Culture & heritage 
• Festivals 
• Gastronomy
• Sports 

If your wish is to maintain the culture fire burning, the Mama Sound will be an excellent tool for that. It shares year-round concerts, exhibitions and theatres in Montpellier.

Want to have a bite? A good coffee with friends? Montpellier City Crunch tests good addresses as well as new restaurants in Occitanie, a real pool of good ideas to plan your first adventures in the city.

Finally, if these are your first steps in the beautiful city of Herault region, you’ll do well to visit the historic district of Ecusson. Located in the heart of the city centre, Ecusson district is sure to satisfy your curiosity. And here is a list of venues you do not want to miss:

• Le Jardin des Plantes, which takes a different look every season.
• Fabre Museum, Montpellier’s main art museum, offering reduced rates for students.
• La Panacée, a place of hybrid conviviality mixing coffee, catering, contemporary art and coworking spaces.
• Le pavillon populaire, a free, open to the public photographic area.

Finding accommodation

Whether you are looking for accommodation for a short stay or for the whole year, Montpellier Business School has its own “housing platform”. It is accessible from the mosaic Ecampus or directly here.

If you are a future student in the process of registering for the next school year, a registration key will be required. This authentication code can be communicated to you directly by the Montpellier Business School reception service on the following phone number: 04 67 10 25 00.

If the distance between your home and the school is a matter of importance to you, here is some information on the different ways you can access the campus:

• By tram: Line 3, stop: Hotel Department (15 minutes from downtown).
• By bus: Line 7 (every 15 minutes approximately).

Back to Montpellier Business School: ask for the program!

Former students and freshly admitted ones, re-entry dates are available here. And know that this year, many surprises await students.

Among these novelties are several events. For instance, the Start Up Week will be back to inaugurate the last year of the students of the Grande Ecole Program. All week long and in a team, students will be challenged around a business creation project whose sector will be unveiled only at the beginning of the week. This same theme will then be declined under 3 angles over 3 consecutive weeks.

Also, for the first conference of the academic year, Montpellier Business School will have the honour of receiving Mr. Philippe Croizon on September 10^th for an exceptional intervention with students on the theme of perseverance and surpassing oneself.

Finally and for the first time, the European Day of Languages ​​will also be invited to Montpellier Business School on September 26^th, offering a series of workshops combining inter-culturalism and conviviality around the common theme of “inter-comprehension”.

This is just a sample of the surprises awaiting students in the fall, but if everything was unveiled, it would not be a surprise anymore. Happy holidays to all.

Professional reconversion: a phenomenon democratized by Millennials

According to Hays, nearly one in three people who have passed the professional conversion course are from the Y and Z generations, born in the 1980s and also known as Millennials. In addition, 22% of people aged from 20 to 29 have changed jobs between 2010 and 2015. This young generation of executives seems more flexible and sees itself evolve in different areas during their career.

Joylita Pelé, a Bachelor’s degree graduate, did just that back in 2011. “After graduation, I worked for a large company in different types of functions: from the animation of the entire store network to internal and external communication functions. After five years (and approaching my thirties), I felt I needed a new challenge. Creating my own tourism and events company seemed like the good thing to do”, explains Joylita.

Entrepreneurship as a way to create one’s ideal job

Joylita says: “together with my husband Alexis, we were looking for a project that could combine our passions and in our areas of expertise. A project with a strong potential for development and in a pleasant living environment. As it happens, we are both passionate about both sliding sports and outdoor activities, so we have embarked on sports tourism and organizing tailor-made holidays, starting with investing in a chalet in Morzine / Avoriaz in Haute Savoie”. “The concept is to build a warm, unique place to live and share our passion for mountain sports. We have created Ride & Breakfast, and welcome all sorts of people: corporate groups looking for an atypical place to organize team buildings, international groups of tourists wishing to discover the French Alps, large gatherings of friends / families. Today, this job allows me to link my passion for the mountains with the pleasure of meeting people and having unique experiences. Our goal is to help people discover our wonderful country and outdoor sports through a dedicated tourism company.”

Maintain your acquired skills in your curriculum throughout your whole lifetime

While it is true that Joylita opted for a professional reconversion, she still retains the skills developed during her academic studies and her previous professional experience. “I use project management and planning tools on a daily basis, both for site management and for E-reputation. This is the huge advantage of the cross-training I have benefited from: it facilitates flexibility and adaptation to new professions.”

And it works; February 2020 is already fully booked!

Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/rideandbreakfast/

International dimension and empathy are the heart of this project

Raphaël Auternaud, a 2016 graduate of the Grande Ecole program specialized in International Business, has built his career around international and human contact. “After graduating, I had the opportunity to grow as a product manager.” explains Raphaël. “A year later, I felt too far from reality and everyday life. So I decided to take a year to travel and make my own opinion of the world around me. “

After a year traveling alone to discover South America and Kenya, Raphaël Auternaud decided to return to France and experienced a bitter observation: “I noticed an increase in inequalities, whether on another continent or just every morning, when you walk through your doorstep. “

Naturally empathetic, Raphaël decided to take action to fight against these inequalities. “When I came back to France, I decided to help the homeless people in Montpellier, who are still unfortunately too numerous.” 

An association based on mutual help and analysis of current needs

“The approach is different from the classic help centers that are already doing a great job. We assume that everyone can make a difference. We focus on the current needs of the homeless in Montpellier, after having been able to talk to them. » specifies Raphaël.

“The trigger came from a discussion with a homeless man in Montpellier,” he continues. “This young man just wanted new socks, an insulated bottle and a shaving kit. These are objects that we very often have duplicates with us. The idea is therefore to gather a team of volunteers together, to survey the streets of Montpellier and to discuss with each of them to identify their needs of the moment, collect the necessary products, and then redistribute them to the main concerned people.”

Finally, if the focus is on the needs of the homeless at one time, the team of the association will support each person in their efforts according to their needs. “Accessing accommodation, finding a job, welcoming a child… this customization of the associative service is necessary to help each profile. “Concludes Raphael.

Solidarity contacts and projects

Thanks to the strength of social networks, Raphaël Auternaud federates a community on the Facebook page: Entraide SDF – Montpellier. If you are tempted by the volunteer experience or if you want to find out more about the project, click here.

“Let’s do it”

While the career path of Tristan Martinez is very common for a Montpellier Business School student, he is nonetheless a personality with unique ideas who likes to take risks. Tristan graduated from the Montpellier Business School Grande Ecole Program in 2014, he has since spent two years in the banking sector in Grenoble, before deciding to move more than 1000 km away, to Finistère, where another professional opportunity was awaiting.

Tristan Martinez explains: “the night before I moved to Finistère, I dreamed that I went to Bretagne on a motorcycle that I had in high school. I told this story to my two childhood friends and they said “Let’s do it”. Sensitive to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects, the trio decided to organize this trip in favour of a good cause and created the association “Mobydick Mobylette Club”.

An atypical CSR project for the fight against multiple sclerosis

The trio chose to donate the funds raised by the Mobydick Mobylette Club to the French League against Multiple Sclerosis. Tristan says: “the choice of the association was quite natural. One of our relatives is directly affected by this neurological disease. Multiple sclerosis affects more than 100,000 people in France and affects mainly people between the ages of twenty and forty, which mean that we are in the concerned age group. Our role will be to both sensitize the people we meet during our trip and raise funds for the benefit of the League.”

A call to the Montpellier Business School community everywhere in France

The trip of the three bikers is planned for the summer of 2020. “The idea is to build the path in stages so we can stop and federate a maximum of people. This is an opportunity to discover good addresses, promote our partners and meet all the people who have supported us in the project. Everyone will be free to go a long way with us: an opportunity to meet other Montpellier Business School Alumni if ​​they feel like it.”

Follow their adventures on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobydick.mobyletteclub/

Join the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/420544738527197/

To learn more about the actions of the Multiple Sclerosis League, click here.