The September 26 federal elections in Germany have been earmarked as one of its most important in the past two decades. For a start, it signals the end of Angela Merkel’s tenure as Chancellor, after 16 years at the helm of Europe’s largest economy. To comment on this landmark vote, its uncertain outcome, and economic outlook, we turn to Armin Steinbach, HEC professor in law and economics. Steinbach is ideally placed to comment: prior to his September arrival at our business school, he spent over a decade as a government official and adviser in the Ministries of Finance and of Economic Affairs and Germany’s Parliament.
For the 32nd Olympic Games, one of South Africa’s modern icons, 800-meter champion Caster Semenya, will not be making the trip northwards. She has been barred from the Tokyo Olympics where she had hoped to defend a crown she won in 2012 and 2016. We discuss with Professor Matteo Winkler the legal, sociological and ethical implications of the Caster Mokgadi Semenya v. IAAF (now World Athletics) case. World Athletics’ regulations target female athletes like Semenya who are born with naturally high levels of testosterone, a characteristic that was labelled first as “hyperandrogenism” and then as “difference of sexual development”. Winkler and fellow academic, Doctor Giovanna Gilleri from the European University Institute published a 40-page study deconstructing the narratives surrounding the case and reflecting on the relationship between the law of sports, politics, gender and bodies – and the West’s sometimes uncomfortable position on femininity in the Global South.
By Matteo M. Winkler
The forced landing of a Ryanair airplane and the subsequent arrest of two Belarusians on May 23 has sparked a major diplomatic crisis between EU and US authorities and the Minsk government. This has led to calls for across-the-board sanctions by both Europe and the United States. But just how effective are these measures? HEC Paris Professor Alberto Alemanno shares his analysis of the stand-off and its reflections on EU foreign policy.
Why diversity matters. This special number presents the latest research from HEC professors and Ph.D. students on the impact of Human Resources policies and leadership on diversity and inclusion (D&I). These often throw up stereotypes in factors of discrimination and in shaping workplaces and society. Researchers explain their key findings in D&I and offer concrete insights and recommendations to better face management and career challenges. Hence, they attempt to answer certain crucial societal issues.
Matteo Winkler is a law professor at HEC Paris, focusing an important part of his research on international human rights and on teaching Diversity and Inclusion. Professor Winkler also chairs the HEC Paris Diversity Committee. Eloïc Peyrache is a professor of economics. He began his research career with a study of gender diversity in admissions to French Grandes Ecoles. He was nominated Dean of HEC Paris in January 2021. Both professors share their insights on the stakes in Diversity and Inclusion, ways to address discrimination and proposals to include diversity through research. These, they say, are just some of a panoply of initiatives being explored at HEC Paris.
The EU has a comprehensive legal framework to combat discrimination. But where exactly does the letter of the law lie and how can corporations make their businesses truly inclusive? HEC Paris professor Matteo Winkler suggests going above and beyond the law to make workplaces genuinely diverse.
Global warming is one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. In order to meet this unprecedented challenge, States and sub-state entities have decided to use an original regulatory instrument: a trading system wherein pollution rights can be exchanged (i.e. a ‘carbon market’). HEC Paris Professor Van Waeyenberge explains why the collaboration between countries has not yet led to satisfying results, and what can be done about it. Given the urgency of the situation, one cannot possibly reconceive or reimagine the current system from scratch, but one can improve it by encouraging complementary measures through the coordination of the various existing initiatives. This coordination could take place via the connections and interlinkages between the different carbon markets initiatives and through the use of new technologies such as the blockchain to implement it.
By Arnaud Van Waeyenberge
According to recent research published by the Harvard Business Review, a strong privacy policy can help firms save millions. If privacy policies have indeed become more important for firms and consumers today, the real challenge lying ahead is to ensure compliance within and beyond the firm. A new tool developed at HEC Paris uses artificial intelligence to help managers, data protection officers, and project leaders take privacy-preserving decisions and implement privacy by design.
The image of a Falcon rocket topped by the Crew Dragon capsule designed and manufactured by private company SpaceX as part of a NASA mission, has struck world public opinion in May 2020. Like its landing in the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks later, in early August. It illustrates the profound changes that have affected the space industry in recent years. In this article, Professor of international business law Lucien Rapp describes the transformation of the space industry and the strategies developed to enter the space market, as well as the challenges of its privatization for the future of the industry.
The covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown have impacted business enormously and in unprecedented ways, forcing corporate leaders to reset their priorities and, in some cases, switch from profitability to survival. As all this happened, legal advisors were urged to provide pragmatic solutions regarding their clients’ existing contracts. HEC Paris Professor of Law Matteo M. Winkler shares some options on which they may want to reflect upon.