HEC Paris at the 2025 Paris Peace Forum: Education and Business for a More Peaceful Future

For the second consecutive year, HEC Paris participated as an academic partner in the Paris Peace Forum, held on November 30, 2025. This collaboration highlights the School’s enduring commitment to fostering international understanding and peace, training future peace ambassadors, and advancing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges — from geopolitical shifts to technological disruption and climate change.

Following the Voices of Future Leaders

Throughout the day, HEC Imagine Fellows Nikol Myroshnychenko (from Ukraine) and André Abdessamad (from Syria) took part in several panels, sharing their reflections on how education and business can work hand in hand to build a more peaceful and sustainable future. Their engagement embodies the mission of HEC Paris to empower individuals from conflict-affected regions to become agents of change and global dialogue. 

“Participating in the Paris Peace Forum shows that young leaders can play a crucial role in redefining how we think about peace, resilience, and cooperation,” shared Nikol Myroshnychenko, a Ukrainian Imagine Fellow.

A Call to End the War in Sudan

HEC Paris student and HEC Imagine Fellow Mayada Adil, from Sudan, took part in the panel discussion “Holding the Line for Democracy" at the Forum’s closing ceremony. A Young Leader for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Mayada used her voice to shed light on the humanitarian crisis currently devastating Sudan, stemming from a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“If your intention is to bring peace, I urge you: let’s change the narrative that Sudan is not the forgotten war anymore. Let’s talk about Sudan, because sometimes talking implies political pressure on those persecuting others. So please, talk about Sudan, and hold your governments accountable.” Mayada Adil, Paris Peace Forum 2025.

A Partnership Anchored in Action

HEC Paris first joined forces with the Paris Peace Forum in 2024 as a Knowledge Partner, a collaboration rooted in the School’s ambition to inspire impactful global leadership and address complex global challenges through academic insight and innovative governance.

Together, HEC Paris and the Forum launched the Business & Peace Academy in early 2025 — a joint initiative that enables students to explore the role of responsible business conduct in fragile contexts and conflict-affected areas. Over three weeks, participants examine how companies can promote stability, inclusive growth, and peace-building through sustainable business practices.

Education as a Force for Peace

The participation of the HEC Imagine Fellows, a scholarship program supporting students from war-torn or politically unstable regions, underscores the School’s belief in the transformative power of learning and leadership. Through initiatives such as the Business & Peace program and the Imagine Fellows scholarships, HEC Paris continues to foster a new generation of leaders committed to building bridges and finding solutions to today’s most pressing global challenges.

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