Rebuilding Social Fabric
From economic instability, political polarization, rising individualism, mental health crises, and climate disruption, the slow erosion of social cohesion is a common fracture line.
This special issue brings together voices from across the HEC community — researchers, entrepreneurs, students, alumni — to explore the role of trust and social bonds as foundations for economic resilience, democratic vitality, and fair transition. Without it, progress collapses.
A cross-disciplinary journey through ideas, solutions, and collective responsibility to rebuild what holds us together.
Sustainability & Society
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Frederique Veldhuis: Building Trust Where Certainty Falls Apart
When Frederique Veldhuis speaks about trust, she doesn’t talk about it as a value to defend; she treats it as a structure to design, test, and patiently rebuild.
Entrepreneurs Rebuild the Places Where People Connect
Across cities, a new wave of entrepreneurs is rebuilding something we’ve lost: spaces for human connection. Known as tiers-lieux, these inclusive civic spaces blend work, culture, and community, driving innovation through recomposition.
Tom & Josette: Reinventing childcare through intergenerational micro-nurseries
Astrid Parmentier and Pauline Faivre co-founded an intergenerational model of nurseries located in retirement homes to address the issues of capacity and recruitment in the early childhood and elderly care sectors.
