HEC in the press

Scandals don’t just stain reputations—they reshape rules. HEC Paris Professor Aline Gatignon shows in an op-ed for Forbes how they redefine partnerships—and why legitimacy is leaders’ top currency.

Politico reports on growing criticism of Ursula von der Leyen’s communication style, accused of creating confusion and over-centralization within the European Commission. Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris, argues that her increasingly political and tightly controlled approach has weakened the institution’s transparency.

In a letter published in the Financial Times, law professor at HEC Paris Business School Alberto Alemanno argues that the European Union’s tendency toward consensus is not a weakness but a “rational survival strategy.” He explains that, after decades of economic integration without equivalent political integration, EU leaders remain accountable to national rather than European constituencies — leaving the Union structurally incapable of decisive collective action until genuine transnational democratic institutions are created.

Reuters reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will outline her priorities for the year following backlash over a trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. While the agreement was criticized as overly favorable to Washington, Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris, argues that other European leaders are “scapegoating” von der Leyen for structural weaknesses she did not create, noting that she alone cannot counter the U.S. or resolve crises like Gaza or Ukraine.

WirtschaftsWoche explores how humor from leaders can backfire if misused. Barbara Stöttinger, Dean of Executive Education at HEC Paris Business School, warns that in formal, hierarchical corporate cultures, jokes may be perceived as inappropriate, underscoring the need for tact and the right setting.

What if using AI at the office made you look lazy? In an op-ed for Forbes, professors at HEC Paris Business School David Restrepo Amariles and Cathy Yang reveal how this fear is reshaping workplaces—and what to fix before it’s too late.

BusinessBecause outlines five key steps for tailoring an MBA scholarship application, from researching eligibility and aligning values to writing with authenticity. Aracely Magallon, associate director of MBA admissions at HEC Paris, advises applicants to "write from the heart and present their true selves" rather than relying on AI-generated content.

MBA Crystal Ball features HEC Paris Business School as a top European MBA program preparing students for careers in AI through deep tech specializations and hands-on corporate projects. The school has embedded AI into all its MBA formats—MBA, EMBA, TRIUM—overhauling analytics courses and offering immersive experiences like partnerships with Station F and the Creative Destruction Lab. According to Jean-Amiel Jourdan, Senior Executive Director at HEC Talents, “AI investments continue to rise, particularly in data science roles,” creating strong demand for graduates with data-driven expertise.

Poets & Quants highlights how business schools are increasingly integrating geopolitics into their curricula to reflect today’s global instability. HEC Paris Business School stands out for embedding geopolitics across its MBA, EMBA, summer programs, and public events -linking it directly to corporate strategy. Professor Jeremy Ghez explains the urgency behind this shift: "We are in the most acute information and governance crisis in my lifetime".

Associate professor at HEC Paris Business School Tomasz Michalski comments in Al Jazeera the dismissal of Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer by Donald Trump, which has triggered fears of political interference in U.S. economic data. Michalski notes that "economic data manipulation is pervasive in history, especially in autocracies and dictatorships."