HEC in the press

In an op-ed for The Guardian, law professor at HEC Paris Business School Alberto Alemanno warns that Europe is not resisting Trump and Putin’s authoritarianism—but increasingly mirroring it. He highlights a growing ideological convergence between the far right and Europe’s political mainstream, including within the EU Commission under von der Leyen. He calls for bold EU-wide leadership to defend democracy and shared prosperity against this trend.

Interviewed by the Financial Times, Academic director of the Master in International Finance at HEC Paris Business School Evren Örs explains how the programme equips students with Python, data science, and AI skills through workshops with Hi! PARIS and a double degree in data and finance. “We’ve integrated workshops taught by Hi! PARIS into the curriculum,” he says, to meet rising industry demand.

Politico reports the results of a survey of 27 EU governments revealing broad resistance to a loophole-free 2040 climate target, pushing the Commission to consider flexible options like international carbon credits. François Gemenne, professor at HEC Paris Business School, criticizes this approach as “a sign of weakness,” saying the EU is “trying a bit pathetically” to meet its goals with shortcuts rather than leading a green industrial transformation.

In an article from The Economist which outlines a three-question checklist to improve decision-making within organisations, professor at HEC Paris Business School Olivier Sibony, explains that biases are hard to eliminate because people are unaware of them—making structured processes essential.

The Financial Times underlines that business schools seem to be doubling down on DEI and sustainability, despite political backlash in the U.S. Barbara Stöttinger, Dean of Executive Education at HEC Paris Business School, stresses that complying with these standards is “not optional” and frames them as business imperatives, not ideological choices.

According to the Financial Times, executive coaching is shown to be rapidly gaining ground in leadership education, with business schools integrating it into short courses and custom programmes. Dean of Executive Education Barbara Stöttinger notes that coaching fosters lasting peer-to-peer support, while Amal Al-Abduljabbar, General Manager at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in Riyadh, praises HEC’s coaching-heavy programme for improving both professional and personal relationships.

Politico examines how the EU’s systemic opacity and weak enforcement allow fraud, nepotism and revolving-door politics to persist largely unchecked. Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris Business School, warns that this “culture of impunity” not only erodes democratic trust but is also exploited by anti-EU forces.

CNN highlights how experiencing awe can support teens’ mental and emotional well-being. Practical strategies include nurturing curiosity, sharing small moments of beauty, and rethinking screen habits. HEC Paris Business School professor Craig Anderson notes that most digital platforms are designed to capture attention—not to cultivate awe.

In an op-ed published in Sustainable Views, HEC Paris Business School professor François Gemenne proposes a new classification system for countries to break the deadlock in climate negotiations ahead of COP30. Based on a study correlating CO₂ emissions and the Human Development Index, he argues for replacing the outdated industrialised/developing divide with three tiers of transformation capacity. This approach aims to reconcile development and climate action by showing that, beyond a certain development threshold, emissions can stabilize or decline without compromising wellbeing.

The Financial Times reports the results of HEC Paris professor David Restrepo's latest research, which show that employees who use AI like ChatGPT perform better—but get penalized when they disclose it.