06/09/2007

The project to open new campus stems from a philosophy of alliance between the internationally renowned cities of Lyon and Geneva. The campus will open up new possibilities for this leading area commonly known as the "Alpine Diamond" and formed by the cities of Lyon, Geneva and Turin.

The reasons why

This alliance will bring a range of benefits.

Geneva benefits from a unique geostrategic position at the very heart of Europe. The city has always been open to the rest of the world, as is testified by the countless international organisations and corporations that have chosen to locate there. It is rich in distinctive skills of worldwide renown both in private banking, international finance and insurance as well as in international organisations. These unique skills have now been supplemented by know-how in the realms of luxury products and biotechnology.

From the geographic and economic perspectives, Geneva is a key partner for Lyon, for the latter offers economic and industrial sectors that fit perfectly with those of the Swiss city. When seen from Shanghai, New York or Sao Paulo, Lyon and Geneva form a single point on the world map, so it is quite natural for these two cities to launch a joint initiative.

The identity

EMLYON is one of the oldest business schools in Europe and belongs to the exclusive club of educational institutions that offer programmes for all ages, from young graduates to international directors. EMLYON is also one of the few business schools in the world that possess the three international accreditations: AACSB, Equis and AMBA. The school is placed high in the international rankings for each activity and was placed 15th overall in the league table of the "Top 55 European Business Schools" published by the Financial Times in December 2006.

EMLYON's entrepreneurial, innovative and ambitious development plan aims to place the school in the European Top 10 by 2012. The school has defined three strategic initiatives in order to achieve the goal (EMLYON)10 2012:
- strengthening of EMLYON's educational programme entitled "Educating entrepreneurs for the world",
- consolidation of the school's international growth,
- development of its contribution to the reputation of the region.

The alliance

This essential final point underlines the ambition that EMLYON has set itself by opening a campus in Geneva: to become the Business School in the Alpine Diamond that sets the standard and has a worldwide reputation. This alliance between an internationally renowned region and one of Europe's leading business schools will provide students, managers, corporations and organisations with an even broader range of skills and know-how. The alliance will also help to bring the cities of Lyon and Geneva closer together and will increase the appeal of the region on the international stage.

The success of the project is based on an agreement with a partner who is a key player in the local economy in Geneva and who is seriously committed to the development of higher education in the region. Francis Kahn, who is President of Kahn & Cie, which is active in the fields of education, finance and venture capital, and who is also President of the B&M University, possesses the spirit of enterprise and shares the vision and the values of EMLYON.
The partnership has taken shape through the creation of an entity governed by Swiss law that will operate under the name EML Geneva. The campus will be located in the city centre, providing international students with a pleasant and practical lifestyle. The new school will focus on four unique fields of expertise that are closely related to the economy and the know-how of Geneva:
- private banking,
- management of luxury products,
- management of international organisations,
- management of biotech companies.

The programmes will be on offer in September 2008 with three international post-master programmes in English specialising in private banking, luxury goods and international organisations.
The range of courses will focus on international business and will gradually be extended, initially with the introduction of inter-company and specific made-to-measure programmes and then with MBA courses.
An Advanced Management Programme for international managers is already scheduled for 2008 along the same lines as the CPA (Executive Education) in general management. This experience-based course, already offered by EMLYON, focuses on learning through action and promotes the training of managers by managers.

The EML Geneva faculty will be represented by a core of permanent professors to be formed gradually around the person heading the team, Frédéric Martel. A professor in entrepreneurial finance, Frédéric Martel has an MBA from the Lausanne IMD and a PhD from Lausanne HEC (prestigious business school). EML Geneva will also call on the experience of the world-renowned EMLYON network of experts, managers and directors in the relevant business areas and on the B & M University.

Contributing to the realisation of the potential of the Geneva-Lyon axis and developing a comprehensive higher education project are both formidable challenges. By combining the excellence of the French "Grandes Ecoles" with the well-founded international reputation of the city of Geneva, we are convinced that the initial and enthusiastic
response from students, corporations and institutions will be confirmed by the successful launch of our new programmes next year. We'll see you in September 2008!

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