Business Schools learn language of commerce
Build classes that are as diverse as possible in terms of nationality and culture
Programs for managers and executives
Recognition of English as the lingua franca of business is spreading to management courses across Europe
If one country has gained a reputation for resisting the growing dominance of English in global commerce, it has to be France. So when French business schools are increasingly announcing programmes taught in English rather than French, you know something significant is happening in the world of business education.
International programs delivered in English in France
Most of the major international EMBA programs in the country have been taught in English for some time, with the likes of HEC Paris consistently ranked among the world's best by the Financial Times and BusinessWeek. Now the trend is spreading to other Masters programs and even first degrees.
The proliferation of programs and courses taught in English is part of a wider move by business schools around the world to appeal to the broadest range of students, and to build classes that are as diverse as possible in terms of nationality and culture. The idea is that much of the value of business education comes from the experiences of fellow students, which can give invaluable insights into the way markets work around the world. And while native English speakers may be outnumbered by people whose first language is Chinese, Russian or Spanish, English is still widely considered the language of business, with a growing number of speakers.
For many years, business schools in many smaller European countries have grasped the need to teach in English. Nyenrode Business Universiteit in the Netherlands; Lund University in Sweden, and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium sidesteps the problem of working in a country with three official languages by adopting English for its management courses.
The HEC Executive Education programs
Given in English, the HEC Degree Programs ( HEC Executive MBA (English ou bilingual), Trium Global Executive MBA and Executive Master), OpenEnrolment Programs and Custom Programs are delivered in France and all over the world. The learning programs themselves are allinternationally recognized, either through accreditation or simple reputation.
There is the renowned AMBA, Equis and AACSB triple accreditation. But there are also the Financial Times rankings which put HEC programs among the world’s best: Trium Global Executive MBA developed jointly with NYU Stern and the London School of Economics isranked number two worldwide, and HEC Paris has been rated number one European Business School, for criteria overall.
From the article "Schools learn language of commerce", the Independent, January 2012
