Laying the foundations for the future
Situated at the heart of ESSEC’s Cergy campus, the Pierre Nanterme Centre for Responsible Leadership’s bright, modern design creates a stimulating environment for students
Some €70 million has been invested in the redevelopment of ESSEC Business School’s campus at Cergy-Pontoise. Designed as a “hub of collective intelligence”, at the heart of this transformation lie bright, modern spaces offering connected and modular environments conducive to new forms of learning. Ambition editor Colette Doyle travelled to the Parisian suburb to discover what’s on offer
references the concept of ‘Transcend’, the strategic plan launched by this grand école late last year. The aim of Transcend is to go beyond the traditional limits of a business school to create a new, ‘future-fit’ form of management education. The concept includes transcending borders in the context of expanding the school’s international influence – much like its recently announced partnership with Yale School of Management, whereby students on ESSEC’s master’s in management and global MBA programmes can split their studies between its French campuses and New Haven, Connecticut. Participants can earn a degree from each institution: ESSEC MiM students are free to pursue Yale’s master of management studies in global business and society, while the global MBA cohort has the opportunity to be awarded the American school’s master of advanced management. The Transcend strategy also touches on boundaries and the importance of breaking down traditional silos between academic subjects, encouraging strong collaboration between disciplines and robust engagement with non‑academic stakeholders. One of the new spaces at Cergy that particularly reflects this concept is the Research Green Tower, a building dedicated to researchers that houses seminar rooms and work environments. On the ground floor there is a space for scientific seminars and the defence of academic theses, while the first floor features adjustable meeting and flexible co-working spaces. The five upper floors are home to the offices of faculty members. The tower is directly connected to the Grand Hall, which is at the heart of the Cergy campus and has been completely
E SSEC Business School’s next-generation “educational innovation, sustainability and global openness”, according to school dean and president Vincenzo Vinzi. This ambitious renovation took a notably eco-responsible stance, improving energy performance by utilising sustainable materials and solutions to reduce carbon footprint, as well as optimising water and natural light management. Vinzi cites the project’s “transdisciplinary approach”, which aims to break down silos in order to connect the dots across different disciplines, creating spaces that “foster a spirit of collaboration and dialogue”. The next-generation campus is a “transformational journey that puts the human touch at its core”, according to the ESSEC dean, who campus at Cergy-Pontoise – one of four along with La Défense, situated in the business district of the French capital, plus two overseas outposts in Singapore and Rabat, Morocco – combines
30 Ambition • ISSUE 5 • 2025
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