emlyon business school, a benefit corporation, is reasserting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices for the start of the 2024 academic year, ensuring they form an integral part of its activities. The School is now back in Lyon city center, in its brand-new campus, unveiling an exemplary project that embodies its commitments in terms of respect for the environment and well-being in the workplace.

Against this backdrop, emlyon business school will be placing particular emphasis this year on one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is closely linked to this new learning and living environment, in that programs and activities will be focusing on Goal 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

4 lectures examining the social and environmental challenges facing cities and society

To start the 2024 academic year, emlyon business school is offering its students 4 inaugural lectures on themes inspired by Goal 11: “to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable", with:

  • Jean-Marc Jancovici, Partner at Carbone 4 & Chairman of the Shift Project, Tuesday, 3 September, 3:30 PM - “Défis climatiques et villes durables : Écologie, Économie, Technologie” (Climate challenges and sustainable cities: Ecology, Economy, Technology)
  • Sidney Rostan, Founder & CEO of BIOXEGY, Wednesday, 4 September, 10 AM - “Biomimétisme : quand l'ingéniosité de la nature inspire l'innovation du futur et les villes durables” (Biomimicry: when nature's ingenuity inspires future innovation and sustainable cities)
  • Yann Bucaille-Lanrezac, Co-founder of Café Joyeux, Thursday, 5 September, 10:30 AM - “L'inclusion : facteur de développement des villes durables” (Inclusion: a development factor for sustainable cities)
  • Dr. Emma Haziza, Hydrologist & Founder of Mayanne Labs, Thursday, 12 September, 10 AM - “Gestion de l'approvisionnement en eau dans les villes : enjeux et solutions pour un futur résilient” (Managing water supply in cities: challenges and solutions for a resilient future).

Sidney Rostan and Yann Bucaille-Lanrezac, both emlyon business school alumni, will be taking part in a Q&A session at the end of their respective lectures. Recordings of some of the lectures will then be available on the School's YouTube channel.

emlyon business school continues to commit to inclusive education that benefits the whole of society

The School places great importance on integrating social and environmental issues into its teaching. Indeed, since 2021, courses in all programs have been revised in line with the UN's 17 SDGs, using a methodology designed by the School called SDGs Inside (Sustainable Development Goals Inside).

This methodology, which has led to the School updating its range of courses, has significantly modified learning objectives, syllabuses and courses. It involves establishing an analytical framework to situate each course within a repository of 31 CSR competencies, set against the 17 SDGs, and thereby move all courses towards a comprehensive, global response to these challenges. This has enabled the School to identify the skills already taught and those to be introduced or reinforced. In addition, emlyon continues to train its staff in climate issues through workshops and training courses such as “Understanding and taking action in the face of climate change” and the “2 tonnes” workshop, which are mandatory for all staff.

This in-depth transformation of all courses enables students to acquire a portfolio of solid, specific skills, equipping them to tackle the social and environmental challenges they will face in their future careers.

The 3,300 newcomers are set to enjoy an incredible team experience right from their second day of term!

emlyon is organizing 10 “impact days” in the city centers of Lyon and Paris, during which all new students will be carrying out assignments with a social or environmental impact in line with SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities”. Providing plenty of opportunities for learning, these assignments range from the collection of basic necessities, to outreach for the homeless, waste collection, analyses of inclusive sites, and observation and inventory of Lyon's plant and animal life.

This experience will show students the challenges cities have to address, in terms of inequality, access to basic needs (safety, education, food, etc.) and environmental issues, including energy, air pollution and biodiversity. At the same time, they will feel empowered as they take action to make society more sustainable and inclusive.

These events to mark the start of the new academic year will set the tone for the lessons and experimentation they will cover throughout their studies, and from their very first weeks, thanks to the mandatory “Thinking to act in the Anthropocene” course in the Master in Management:

  • The “Action for the Planet” course introduces students to the complexity of climate-energy-society issues, and shows them how they can take action by analyzing real-life situations and making recommendations at different levels.
  • The Responsible Engagement Program involves contributing to a mission of general interest in line with the UN's SDGs. 50 hours of volunteer work are required on a project with a social and/or environmental impact in an association.
  • The “Sustainable Futures” module is designed to enhance the worldview of students who will be the entrepreneurs of the future. Company representatives entrust students with real-life case studies. Students practice being consultants, and explore alternative futures as part of a team.
For Isabelle Huault, Executive president & Dean of emlyon business school:

“As the new school year begins, we welcome our students to our new campus and are determined to train enlightened leaders intent on purposeful action and exploring sustainable futures. This fall, our School is more committed than ever to academic excellence, social and environmental responsibility, and resonance with the world.”

Download the press release

About emlyon business school:

Founded in 1872 by the Lyon Chamber of Commerce, emlyon business school has an enrollment of over 9,050 students of 130 nationalities across four campuses worldwide (Lyon, Shanghai, Paris, and Mumbai). The School relies on a Faculty of 170 internationally recognized professors and researchers, and a network of 200 global academic partners, to provide learning tracks of academic excellence open to the world. The school runs a community of 45,000 alumni spread over 130 countries. As a benefit corporation (société à mission) emlyon aims to “train and support informed leaders, throughout their lives, who are able to transform organizations efficiently for a fairer society and with greater solidarity and respect for the planet”. The School's pedagogy closely links action and reflection. Skill hybridization and social responsibility are also at the heart of its training programs, where the best of both socio-economic and academic worlds meet. The strategic plan, “Resonances 2028”, reaffirms the importance of the “maker spirit” that has been the DNA of emlyon since its creation. The plan is built around the five qualities expected of “makers”, emlyon students, to become entrepreneurs of change, namely: academic excellence; entrepreneurial spirit; engagement; hybrid knowledge; resonance with society.

Press contacts

emlyon@eurosagency.eu
Antoine Cheriet - +33 6 80 74 24 14
Alexis Leclerc-Dalmet - +33 7 62 24 29 25