HEC has recently transformed its Global Exchange Program (GEP) into a cornerstone of HEC educational policy – a distinctive and fundamental part of its teaching approach. The model is based on a limited number of partners (around 25 high-profile international universities), with about 10 students on exchange from each university. In order to maximize cross-fertilization, the program has been designed as an exchange between the HEC Business School and faculties of arts, social and economic sciences, law and communications.

The program has been revamped to better address the changing needs and demands of both students and the corporate world. Hervé Crès, Associate Dean of the HEC Master of Science in Management and PhD programs, highlights the three main improvements.

A more extensive program

"The program now has a wider reach. A few years ago, we had about a dozen exchange students per year. That figure has now risen to about 100 students per year and we expect 250 students by 2008. While the GEP is not mandatory, the aim is for it to become the norm, much as the one year optional work experience program has become de rigueur for our Masters students."

Exchanges occurring in the first year

The second major difference is that the exchange will now occur during the students' first year at HEC, which takes place after two years of preparatory classes. "This part of their training is focused on law, the theory of organizations, economics, quantitative methods, statistics, and social and cognitive psychology – all subjects that underpin management training, although they are not subjects traditionally associated with business schools. It is only natural that our students should pursue these subjects at partner universities specialized in these fields. Our partners are usually schools of arts and sciences or schools of liberal arts. This approach helps students to start 'thinking outside the box'."

A transversal focus

Finally, there is a transversal aspect to the program, which focuses on issues associated with globalization, such as sustainable development or the emerging carbon credits business model. At the end of their exchange, students will deliver a term paper based on their chosen transversal theme.

As part of its commitment to internationalization, HEC has allocated a special budget to assist students with travel and accommodation costs incurred during the program.