EDHEC takes part in the first engagement summit

This article was originally published on edhec.edu - 19/02/2024 

On 8 February 2024, Hager Jemel, Associate Professor at EDHEC Business School and Director of the Diversity & Inclusion Chair, and Pauline Bouveau, President of the Nationale Office of Management School Students and a student on the MSc in Accounting & Finance at EDHEC, took part in the first Engagement Summit, organised by the Forum de l’Engagement in Paris, in the offices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Featuring round tables and conferences, the event brought together business leaders, representatives of higher education and the political world, along with researchers and students, for the purposes of discussing three major contemporary challenges (the environment, digital and inclusion), and considering solutions for tackling them. The Engagement Summit extends the initiatives of the Forum de l'Engagement, a digital platform offering projects and innovations related to aspects of social and environmental progress already underway in France and Europe. 

During the day, Hager Jemel took part in the round table - “Comparative views on levers for fostering inclusion” - the aim of which was to highlight good practices to encourage inclusion in the professional environment. During her intervention, she reiterated the definition of inclusion: “It’s a personal experience, based on the feeling of belonging to a group and on the person receiving recognition from the group for their individuality. To foster inclusion, organisations must create a corporate culture that encourages each member of staff to adopt an inclusive posture. This relies heavily on the example set by senior executives and on managerial practices based on transparency, equity and respect”. She also talked about the actions geared to raising awareness of diversity and inclusion conducted at EDHEC, such as the Springboard for Diversity and Inclusion (a student competition focused on inclusion in the workplace and involving some 650 Pre-Master students each year), or the seminar aimed at fighting gender-based violence.

For her part, Pauline Bouveau intervened during the round table - “Who will be tomorrow’s leaders?” - which tackled the subject of recognition by organisations of the professional expectations of students and young employees, particularly with respect to the quest for meaning and engagement. She presented her audience with the results of the latest survey conducted by the National Office of Management School Students concerning the importance that these students attach to sustainable development: “According to the results of our survey, 70% of management school students recognise the importance of the ecological transition, while 72% trust management schools to train them in environmental issues”. 

Photo credit: Mary-Lou Mauricio