Geopolitics & Public Affairs
On November 25, 2025, the HEC Débats association welcomed Rima Abdul Malak to campus for a conference on the role of culture in contemporary societies. Former French Minister of Culture from 2022 to 2024, she shared both a personal and political reflection shaped by a journey between Beirut, Paris, and New York.
At the time of this talk, Rima Abdul Malak had just been appointed Director of L’Orient-Le Jour, a leading Lebanese daily newspaper, extending her engagement at the intersection of media, culture, and public debate.
Born in Beirut during the civil war and shaped by a life between Lebanon, France, and the United States, her trajectory illustrates how culture can act both as a personal refuge and as a driver of collective transformation.
From humanitarian work to cultural diplomacy, from the Élysée Palace to leading national cultural policy during the Covid crisis, she offers a rare perspective on the intersections between culture, politics, media, and society.
This conversation raises a central question: what role can culture play in a fragmented world, and how can it help individuals and societies move forward?
- Culture can be a refuge and a driver of resilience in times of crisis
- Careers are shaped by encounters more than long-term planning
- Cultural policy is both economic strategy and social cohesion tool
- Media freedom depends on rules, pluralism, and public trust
- Identity is plural; culture expands rather than restricts it
- Cultural industries generate real economic and local impact
Sustainability & Society
Strategy & Leadership