All for an annual budget of EUR 3 million

In the race for the international between the major business schools, Essec has just taken a major step: Cergy group opened a campus in Singapore a few days ago. With the ambition to do a platform to expand in Asia, which is experiencing an unprecedented economic growth, and which displays huge superior training needs.

Singapore, the Essec Asian Center (EAC) has an entire floor in the State of the art building of the national library, in the heart of the business. The EAC is also installed near two of the three local universities. The ESSEC business school plans to deploy all of its activities: initial education, training of executives, research. All for an annual budget of EUR 3 million.

Since the fall, the new campus hosted students from two of its masters and his cycle "international General Management". Starting this summer, he will receive about 40 students from the initial ("Essec MBA") curriculum, to six months in the Asia sector from Cergy. As early as next year, strength will reach approximately 100 students. Participants of the Executive MBA Essec-Mannheim will also spend a week at Singapore. "All of these programs have specific lessons: how to do business in Asia, or the Asian social environment", said Christian Koenig, the Director of the centre. The Asia sector will also follow courses in mandarin, and students may participate in study tours. Courses are taught by faculty from the ESSEC business school or teachers of partner universities.

Further, the Essec Asian Center feeds many projects. Training for Asian students will see the day for example in the field of management of health. Seminars for leaders are also pregnant, as MaKS ("Management Korea Singapore"), to a consortium of Korean firms. Finally, five research themes were selected: luxury brands in Asia, urban management, ethics and biotech firms, innovation in services, risk management and sustainable development. "So many areas in which we can provide specific expertise", said Christian Koenig. The 2010 horizon, Essec table on a decade of regular teachers, a dozen researchers and professors "noticed".

The opening of the new campus is the culmination of a project initiated four years ago. Wishing to establish themselves in Asia, Essec hesitates between three sites: Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. Several reasons motivate the choice of the latter. "In contrast to cities such as Tokyo and Shanghai, which retains a pronounced national character, Singapore offers a compendium of various Asian societies." "It is an ideal platform for the whole of Asia, as well as a gateway to China," explains Pierre Tapie, the Director General of the group. The India, the Japan, the Korea, the Viet Nam and even the Australia are part of the country that the ESSEC business school can hope to achieve from its new base.

In addition, Singapore chose for a long time to invest in higher education. "It is for us a priority, exposes Jonathan Lim, responsible for the Economic Development Board (EDB), a government agency attached to the Ministry of industry and trade. Since the 1990s, we seek to attract leading schools, and we help them financially. We share the risk with elles. "The financial support of local authorities has also weighed in the balance. On-site, Essec brothers Insead, which opened its campus in 2000, and the University of Chicago.

Several other arguments have played. First, the political and economic stability which enjoys Singapore. Then, the ease of access: half an hour is enough to win downtown from the airport a point significant for teachers that will make the trip. To add to this the quality of life, and the fact that it was an English-speaking country.

The new Asian implementation is structured with the "Tricontinental" strategy of Essec. The group plays so the European card with its alliance with the University of Mannheim, is present on the North American continent through partnerships with universities as Kellog, Thunderbird, Berkeley, Harvard and Stanford, and especially strengthening in Asia. The aim was to maintain the number of students from preparatory classes and increase that of non-Europeans. Among these, two-thirds come from Asia.

The Singapore campus appears as a cornerstone in the development of Essec. To the point that it seems to evolve the group. This is in any case the bet of the Director-General: "Singapore offer a window exceptional to observe what is happening in China or India, says Pierre Tapie. Installing in Asia, we learn to believe otherwise. We better understanding a changing world. "In this context of accelerated mutation, Essec intends to hear his voice, different from that of other schools. "The world is moving, but the European tradition also has its word to say about these changes, says Pierre Tapie." We want to participate in the invention of a new way of forming creative and responsible leaders. "It was the theme of the symposium organized the ESSEC business school, with Deans of several business leaders and deans of business schools first plan, the day of the inauguration of the EAC. A way for the school to display his ambitions.