For French exchange students who are abroad

– “Can I go back to France?”

All exchange students, who wish to do so, can come back to France.

We recommend that these students consider both situations in their current country and in France before planning their return. In France, as of March 17 and for at least 15 days, meetings are forbidden and moving from your home is only allowed in very specific cases and with a certificate to be able to travel. (More information here)

The President of France indicated that all French citizens currently outside France will be able to return to France, and sometimes, repatriation may be organized by the French Government. We therefore recommend that you contact the French Consulate or Embassy in the country where you are located to find out what arrangements are in place. The MBS teams will of course forward all the information they may have about this issue.

Depending on the situation in the country you are in (and considering of course the current situation in France), if you decide to come back home, please inform both your host university and the MBS Outgoing coordinator who has been following you since your departure.

– “What impact will this have on my schooling?“

The teams are mobilized so that no student is penalized and to offer a specific modulation of the program according to each situation. Some universities, such as MBS, make it possible to follow all the courses and to be evaluated remotely. Whether the student has decided to return to France or to stay in his host country, he will be able to finish his semester online.

If the exchange university has not yet positioned itself or if it cannot ensure continuity remotely, then MBS will offer an adaptation of the student’s course.

Please get in touch with the Outgoing coordinator who has been following you since your departure, or your program.

– “What do I have to do once in France? “

As soon as you arrive in France, please contact the Outgoing coordinator who has been following you since your departure or your program.

For international students at Montpellier Business School

– “Do I have to go back to my home country? “

As physical presence on campus is suspended, international or exchange students who wish to do so, can come back to their home country. They will have access to online courses from 23 March and will be able to take their exams remotely under the same conditions as any other student. If you have any questions, please contact your program or the Incoming service Incoming@Montpellier-BS.com

– “I live in CROUS student housing and share kitchen and bathroom with other people. What can I do? “

If you wish to stay in your accommodation, and you are in a student room (not managed by MBS), the CROUS will transfer you to a studio-type accommodation, to secure the confinement and protect your health.

Please, remember to :

• Wash your hands very regularly
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow
• Throw tissue into closed bin immediately after use
• Avoid close contact when greeting people

Reminder: as of 17 March and for at least 15 days, gatherings are prohibited and travel is only allowed in very specific cases and with a certificate to be able to circulate. (More information here)

-“Are the student residences closed ?”
NO. The Crous will continue to welcome in their residences students who are already housed there and who wish to stay there, so that they can work, even at a distance from their educational institution, in good conditions. Thank you for following the current sanitary instructions and the rules of residence life indicated by your Crous.

The housed students have been invited to go back to their family home, in order to avoid them staying in their accommodation in an isolated way, especially as the Crous cannot maintain collective activities. However, this in NO CASE means that those who wish to stay for reasons of their own are forced to leave. They will continue to be accommodated in university residences that remain OPEN.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Higher Education, with the help of the Crous and all higher education institutions, is currently organizing so that the CVEC can as soon as possible finance vouchers for basic necessities for those students who need them most, particularly those confined to university residences.

To help you cope with departures that are linked to a public health measure, if you have had to leave hastily, even without being able to free up your room entirely, the contractual notice period of one month will not apply. Thus, as of April 1st, all students who have left their accommodation – even temporarily – will NO LONGER pay their rent until they return.

To benefit from this interruption in rent, inform the Crous of your departure as a matter of emergency so that it can be checked and accounted for, at the email address of your residence. Naturally, your accommodation in the university residence will not be reallocated in your absence, during the period of confinement.

To all the students and coworkers returning from the area hereunder

Given the progressive nature of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the recommendations of the Ministry of Health Solidarity (MSS) have been updated for people returning from contamination hotspots, those areas where community transmission of the virus is known.

The Ministry of Health Solidarity (MSS) warns all person returning from these areas :

• Mainland China
• Hong Kong
• Macao
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Italy : regions of Lombardy, Veneto & Emilia-Romagna
• Iran

This is an evolving list, click here to keep fresh updates : https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/soins-et-maladies/maladies/maladies-infectieuses/coronavirus/coronavirus-infos-voyageurs 

These measures are recommended by the MSS

• Within 14 days of return, the following measures are recommended by the MSS:
• Wear a surgical mask when you are in front of another person and when you have to go out;
• Wash your hands regularly or use a hydro-alcoholic solution;
• Workers / students: wherever possible, favor teleworking and avoid close contact (meetings, elevators, canteen, etc.);
• Monitor your temperature twice a day;
• Watch for the appearance of respiratory infection symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing, etc.);
• Avoid contact with frail people (pregnant women, the chronically ill, the elderly, etc.);
• Avoid frequenting places where fragile people are found (hospitals, maternity hospitals, accommodation structures for the elderly, etc.);
• Avoid all non-essential outings (large gatherings, restaurants, cinema, etc.).
• Children, middle school and high school students should not be sent to nurseries, schools, junior high or high schools, given the difficulty of wearing a mask all day.

In case of fever or fever symptoms, cough, difficulty breathing:

• Quickly contact the SAMU center 15 by reporting the trip ;
• Avoid contact with those aroung you and keep your mask on ;
• Do not go directly to the doctor or to the hospital emergency room.

Montpellier Business School will provide solutions to make concerned students able to study from home.
If you are in this situation, please contact directly your programme :

• Bachelor Programme : Sophie MEIRIEU s.meirieu@Montpellier-BS.com  +33 (0)4 67 10 60 12
• Grande Ecole Programme : Agnès BEDOCH bedoch@montpellier-bs.com  +33 (0)4 67 10 25 56
• MSc Programme : Natalie FOULQUIER-GAZAGNES foulquier-gazagnes@Montpellier-BS.com +33 (0)4 67 10 28 53
• EMBA Programme : Catherine DEIANA deiana@Montpellier-BS.com  +33 (0)4 67 10 28 52

You can also contact us thanks to this email: infocoronavirus@montpellier-bs.com

Coworkers: please contact your manager and the Human Resources service.

Do you need more information ?

The government website provides update news about the virus here : www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus

A toll-free number is available : 0 800 130 000

Travel advice from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/

WHO FAQ: https://www.who.int/fr/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

A concept born out of a pedagogical project and a beautiful friendship

Claire and Pauline met during the integration weekend in 2014, when they were entering the Montpellier Business School Bachelor program. Now in their final year of the Grande Ecole Program, Claire and Pauline have built their project on a solid three-year work-study experience.

“I am an assistant product manager in the fashion industry. I first worked for the L’Oréal Luxury group for the Cacharel brand, and then for the Athena brand within the Eminence group,” explains Pauline. “I also worked in operational marketing, with three years in distribution in the fashion sector in shopping centre management, sports with Decathlon and health with Baush & Lomb, “adds Claire.

“We had the Mediterranean and our passion for fashion in common. In Bachelor 3, in the entrepreneurship module, we worked on a group project, imagining a company that echoed this common passion. The professor having validated this work, we said to ourselves that it would be judicious to really create our company” explain the two students.

Their meeting with the coach of the Entrepreneurship Centre of Montpellier Business School

“Our project needed to mature. So we went to see the Entrepreneurship Centre to know the kind of support we could benefit from. And that’s when we discovered the pre-incubation process. We took advantage of these few months to fine-tune our project and carry out our market study. When Pauline and Claire were ready, they went into the Entrepreneurship Centre for incubation and that’s how they met Cyril Salort, one of the Entrepreneurship Centre’s ten coaches. “This support has been a real catalyst for our project. Through several workshops, Cyril enabled us to draw up our strategic plan with more hindsight, the objective being to feel more credible and legitimate in the eyes of potential investors, “explain Claire and Pauline.

“Cyril accompanied us at every stage of our business creation. He allows us to move forward quickly and even pushes us out of theory in order to launch the operationalization, “confide the two budding entrepreneurs.

Néus, an e-commerce platform to showcase the free creators of the South of France

Together, the two marketing experts imagined Néus, an e-commerce platform aimed at showcasing designers from the South of France. “The objective of this marketplace is to create a real showcase for independent designers who populate the Mediterranean, to increase their visibility, encourage local consumption and create vocations. »

“French fashion is not limited to Paris. The designers we are targeting are the bearers of free, uncomplexed, but also and above all responsible fashion. From sourcing to production, we want their designs and brand identity to be the bearers of a truly thoughtful ecological approach and responsible consumption.”

Claire and Pauline are now finalizing their financing and the creation of their website. In the meantime, you can follow behind the scenes of the creation of Néus directly on instagram.

Are you a student or graduate of Montpellier Business School and wish to join the school’s incubator? Contact the Entrepreneurship Centre team here.

An unconventional path for a Grande Ecole graduate

After graduating from the Montpellier Business School Grande Ecole Program in 2015, Soukeïna moved to a job as Coordinator within an investment fund in order to have the opportunity to accompany start-ups in their projects. “It was the most logical thing to do. I had just finished a year of specialization in Entrepreneurship and a work-study program in Oracle’s Business Accelerator,” explains Soukeïna.

“Only 8 months later, I wanted to create my brand, my company, but I had no idea what I really wanted to create,” confides Soukeïna. It was by chance during a trip that this graduate decided to discover the world of leather goods.

Soukeïna then embarked on a CAP to learn this craft. “At the very beginning, I just wanted to be able to discuss “technique” so I can exchange with potential suppliers. But as my training progressed, I discovered my passion. At first I thought I would try entrepreneurship for one or two years, and I even considered returning to the workforce if it didn’t work out. But after this training, I understood that I wanted to make this brand a life project. »

A chain of inspiring podcasts to better understand the luxury sector

With her CAP, Soukeïna had the opportunity to make her mark in two prestigious French luxury houses (Moynat & Goyard) as a leather craftswoman. “I learned for the first time in my career to appreciate time. In luxury, we are taught to take all the time needed to ensure that every detail of a piece is perfect,” explains Soukeïna.

“It’s one of the advantages of craftsmanship, certain gestures become automatic and you have more brain time available. I started listening to a lot of podcasts and I wanted to create my own to demystify the world of luxury, which is still marketed to us as inaccessible.”

Since March 2019, Soukeïna has launched a series of “Luxury & Crafts” Podcasts in which she exchanges with professionals in the sector to understand their careers, their successes and their failures and thus pave the way for potential budding craftsmen who are still hesitating to take the plunge.

A project incubated at the Entrepreneurship Centre and finalist of the Entrepreneurship Lighthouse

Soukeïna discovered the Entrepreneurship Centre upon her return to Montpellier Business School as the Eligible Jury. Open to graduates, the Montpellier Business School incubator is now part of Maison Aïma, Soukeïna’s brand and the culmination of 3 and a half years of work “that have only just begun” smiles Soukeïna.

Today, this young entrepreneur won the Entrepreneurship award of “Le Phare de l’Entrepreneuriat”.

Welcoming Rob Hopkins to respond to the emergency

On February 5^th, Montpellier Business School had the honour of welcoming Rob Hopkins, founder of the world movement of Cities in Transition, thanks to the Chair in Social Entrepreneurship & Inclusion and the Magazine Sans Transition.

“The objective is that a figure of social, economic and environmental transition like Rob Hopkins can share his experience on the importance of imagining, collectively, a positive future for all” explains Dr Walid Nakara, holder of the Chair & Deputy Director of the Yunus Center of Montpellier Business School.

The positive dimension was however, from the start, challenged by the inventory of the climatic situation drawn up by the expert in permaculture. “If the global temperature of the globe increases from 1.5 to 2 ° C, there will be widespread famines. If we continue to operate as we do today, we will reach this threshold by 2025. ”If this introduction was able to alert the public to the emergency situation, it was all together that the participants lent themselves to the creative game of imagining the solutions of the world of tomorrow.

Imagining the transition together, in a more resilient and positive world

“Until the 1990s, the creativity curve and the IQ curve both followed the same growth. As the IQ curve continued to grow, the creativity curve started to stagnate, “said Rob Hopkins, pointing to the crisis of creativity and attention.

Through questions all starting with “What if …”, the speaker encouraged his audience in a playful way not to set limits to the imagination. “Play is important. What if gaming returned to the heart of society? In the city of Bristol, some streets are closed to traffic so that parents and children can meet to play outside. The game makes it possible to build a social and united bond between individuals while giving the possibility of testing the imagined solutions. “

By stimulating the imagination, new collaborative models can thus emerge. Rob Hopkins concludes by delivering his four ingredients to facilitate the transition of society and businesses: “Space, Place, Pacts, and Practice“. The first step is therefore to create a safe space and framework in which people can take the time to imagine. “In Bologna, a municipal office of the imagination has been created so that everyone can suggest ideas at the local level to improve everyone’s daily life.”

Finally, to get citizens to act for the transition, enthusiasm and optimism are more effective than communication around the emergency. “Some researchers encourage participants to project themselves into the future by imagining it in a positive way and create memories of the future. It is easier for people to fight for these memories than to avoid an apocalyptic future.”

Training students in new creative and responsible methods: a mission that Montpellier Business School has endorsed for several years

Rob Hopkins’ conference resonates with the heart of the Montpellier Business School mission. Bruno Ducasse, Director General of Montpellier Business School, explains: “We believe that the biggest challenge for companies will be the sustainable, civic and eco-responsible transformation of their strategy. This is why the themes of CSR and sustainable development are at the heart of our research activities and are taught across all our programs.”

If CSR has been part of the DNA of Montpellier Business School for many years, the school has in recent months sought to bring more play into its pedagogy. The gamification of lessons brings together a wide spectrum of exercise: from the intercultural escape game to the serious game of business creation, the Professors and the Learning Centre of Montpellier Business School are now testing more and more methods to stimulate the creativity of managers of tomorrow.

Promoting meetings between students and companies

Stage Dating took place on February 5^th, 2020. The event organized by the Career Centre of Montpellier Business School is inviting recruiters to meet students on campus. “This event is one of the main missions of Montpellier Business School which is to facilitate contact between the company and the student,” according to Laurence Flinois, Director of the Career Centre.

More than 200 “short internship” offers were available during this new edition, enough to satisfy the curiosity of first-year students who are building the first foundations of their professional project following the “Work me up” event. “The market for these discovery internships is very tight. It remains strategic for companies because when Montpellier Business School students seek their work-study program, they will think in priority of the companies in which they carried out their first assignments,” adds Laurence Flinois.

43 major partners and local partners responded

Once again, the Major Partners of Montpellier Business School were there for the event. “The Major Partners present during this edition offer a wide spectrum of choices of sectors and missions to students. Adecco, Asics, Auchan, Caisse d’Épargne, Decathlon and Orchestra: the aim is to facilitate the integration of students into a large group,” explains Alexandrine Bernad, Director of Major Partners.

The Stage Dating is also an opportunity to give visibility to the smallest structures, often local, which also attract many students every year in search of a “start-up” experience. “Last year we recruited Artus during the Stage Dating, for an internship in product management and panel management missions. It was a real crush and we hope this year to have the same kind of experience,” explains Lionel Seltz of Specialist-Wanted. “Beyond the academic level, students from Grande Ecole offer a real professional posture. That’s what we came for. This posture is fundamental for the missions that we propose where the student will be in daily contact with entrepreneurs. “

A participation record for this atypical recruitment exercise

During the Stage Dating, recruiters and students have only a few minutes to assess the correspondence of professional projects with the proposed missions. Sacha, a student in the first year of the Grande Ecole program, had the opportunity to conduct three interviews for positions in marketing and communication: “The rapid format of the Stage Dating creates the unconventional framework of dating. I remember the level of stress when I was preparing for my exams. The climate here is radically different, the atmosphere is relaxed and I don’t feel like I am interviewing. “

This atmosphere of exchanges has been beneficial since the Stage Dating recorded this year a record attendance of more than 400 students who came to build their network.

Facilitating international cooperation between Business Schools

CLADEA (El Consejo Latinoamericano de Escuelas de Administración) is an international organization that brings together higher education institutions from around the world to promote innovations and teaching techniques in management sciences, and to invite institutions to cooperate more in research, academic exchange and student mobility.

With more than 240 members, CLADEA acts as a global facilitator between universities and business schools in Latin America and the rest of the world.

For the next three years it is Montpellier Business School, represented by Dr. Yvon Desportes, its Director of International Academic Relations, who will sit on CLADEA’s Management Committee on behalf of all higher education institutions outside America.

The mission of this mandate is to break down bias about Latin America and open up the social spectrum of higher education

“Historically, Latin America has inherited a multi-identity that makes it a place of intercultural interaction subject to multiple European, African, American and Asian influences.” explains Dr. Yvon Desportes. “Nowadays, literacy and life expectancy rates are comparable to those in Europe and show a very satisfactory academic level. Today’s major issue is to assure the accessibility for all to higher education.” he adds.

This issue of inequality of opportunity marks the main challenge of this new mandate: to ensure better social mobility and broaden the talent spectrum while integrating Universities and Business Schools by further democratizing accessibility.

“The training of individuals is a key factor in the multiplication of social justice. Business studies help combat the unique family transmission of companies and create more innovative solutions to the current world issues,” says Yvon Desportes. “This mandate is a real opportunity for Montpellier Business School to share its equal opportunity policy and to materialize once again its founding value of CSR in concrete action.”

Montpellier Business School has been facilitating student mobility to Latin America for many years

Several hundred Montpellier Business School students have experienced for many years, academic exchange in Latin America by going to study in one of the school’s many academic partners. “Over the years, Montpellier Business School has succeeded in forging partnerships with 80 % of accredited institutions in Latin America, a commitment that not only fuels our mission as a facilitator of student mobility but also contributes to the development of academic excellence.” concludes Yvon Desportes.

In a few weeks, students in the Bachelor and Grande Ecole programs will be able to choose to go on a single or diploma exchange among some thirty Latin American institutions, such as the Instituto Technologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM), the Universidad Esan of Peru or the Universidad Adolfo Ibanez of Chile….

Find the entire foreign partner Universities of Montpellier Business School here.

Cordées de la réussite: a national system to allow young people to choose their orientation

In partnership with the Ministries of National Education, Higher Education, Research and City Policy, Cordées de la réussite organized their national mobilization day on January 16^th to announce the various projects that will take place in 2020 and whose objective is to increase the academic ambition of high school and college students from priority neighbourhoods. “It is a question of removing the psychological, social and cultural obstacles which can slow down the access of young people to higher education training” explains Sophie Fournials, Project manager for social openness and Cordées de la réussite within Montpellier Business School.

“Within Montpellier Business School, Cordées de la réussite and the Course of Excellence are also taken by students as part of projects integrated into their curriculum. From tutoring to the organization of social and cultural openness actions in partnership with associations in the region, the events organized by student volunteers aim to promote social diversity, demystify training of excellence and present the keys to professional success, ”adds Benjamin Ferran, Diversity and CSR Manager.

15 projects in 2020 for a year under the theme of “self-knowledge”

Carried out from November to April by first year students of the Grande Ecole programs (Prometheus project) and second year of Bachelor (Alpha project), the projects mobilize more than a hundred students and target varied structures to offer young people an experience around unifying values ​​and facilitating exchange: sport, tutoring, help with homework, visits to higher education establishments …

Sophie Fournials explains: “This year, we want to encourage students to dare an ambitious personal project through workshops organized around self-knowledge. Thanks to the levers of personal development, young people manage to better identify what drives them and therefore to build a more stimulating professional project.”

The Diversity Odyssey renews its concept to stimulate the creativity of young people

Among the novelties of this edition, the Diversity Odyssey gets a facelift in 2020. This event in favour of equal opportunities allows high school students from priority neighbourhoods to meet and discuss with students and professionals.

While in previous years, sport was in the spotlight, this year the students chose to offer a project creation competition. “The idea is that they share what they like and that they come together as a team to come up with a concept together. »Explain the student volunteers.

Strengthening one’s strategic skills and adapting management to the development of business

Yihong Pan evolves within Magic Design Studios, an independent studio founded in 2015 by veterans of the video game sector, rewarded in 2019 by a nomination to the Annie awards for their video game 100% made in France: Unruly Heroes. “It is a pride for our young studio to be nominated for this international distinction which rewards our expertise in animation” explains Yihong.

The development of Unruly Heroes has led to a strong expansion of the team: “We went from five employees in 2015 to no less than thirty people during preproduction. The development of human resources experienced by the studio required an evolution in team management on the part of its managers. ” When I decided to join the MBA program, my goal was to gain the skills for managing a larger team, and thus prepare the company for its development in new markets,” adds Yihong.

Benefiting from research to better build a market conquest strategy

Yihong Pan will graduate next January 31^st from the MBA program. “The most significant memory of my course is the choice of my thesis. I wanted the academic research done as part of this exercise to directly serve my professional project. “

Coached by the teacher-researcher Julien Granata, Yihong founded the problematic of her research on the engines and the brakes to the development of a product on the Chinese market, by taking the most relevant case for her challenges in business: the sector of video games. “Entering the Chinese market is a real challenge in the video game sector. Building my thesis around the challenge facing my company today allows me to better develop the company’s strategic plan and to base myself on scientific data. “

Do you want to enter the video game market? Here are a few tips

Thanks to Montpellier Business School’s student association, Arcadia, E-sport has now a place in Montpellier Business School campus. Today, more and more students want to professionalize in the video game sector.

Yihong gives them some advice. “Whether for an internship or a work-study program, you have to make the effort to put yourself in the shoes of a designer and a distributor, that is to say imagine yourself launching a game from A to Z and therefore visualize each stage of the production process: from development to marketing. “

“The first job is the key because the professional project continues to be built after graduation. The first five years of your career in this sector will help you understand where you want to go. ” Concludes Yihong.

To find out more about the world of this future graduate, it’s here:

Register & attend this LIVE webinar on ‘How to choose your Business School in France‘ by Montpellier Business School and learn-

• How to differentiate yourself from other professionals by studying in France.
• Which factors to consider while choosing the right Program and Institution.
• How to select the Business School that will give you the student experience you are looking for.

This Webinar will be animated by Judith Rakotondralay, International Development Manager at MBS.

Register and attend the live Webinar here.