To an international audience, the higher education system in France has been notoriously difficult to understand: public university or grande école , specialized institute or generalist establishment? Perhaps most striking is the sheer number of these academic institutions. In Paris and its suburbs, there are no less than 13 universities and a handful of smaller, more specialized institutions. Moreover, scientific analysis is carried out by research units outside of universities. This fragmentation has severely hampered the country’s best schools from attaining the international acclaim they deserve.

Recently, France’s higher education system took a giant leap forward with the Excellence Initiative (IDEX) scheme. Established by the French government, this reform program supports academic partnerships among grandes écoles  and other universities working together to help them better compete with top international players. Eight laureates among French academic institutions and research organizations have since been appointed.

This year, HEC Paris, a founding member of the University Paris-Saclay, was the only grande école  business school to be selected as part of IDEX. The newly named IDEX Paris‐Saclay combines the objectives of a fundamentally diverse group of educational institutions including two universities, 10 grandes écoles  and seven research organizations, which are all extremely prestigious in their own right.

HEC Paris is already ahead of the game when it comes to global visibility. We have been ranked #1 European Business School by the Financial Times  since 2006. In 2011, we ranked 76th in the business and economics category in the Shanghai Ranking, an academic ranking of the world’s top 500 universities. This achievement was particularly noteworthy given our relatively small size compared to other international universities. In addition, we have strong ties to corporate and academic partners worldwide and are proud of our centers of excellence in Paris, Shanghai, Doha and St. Petersburg.

For us, IDEX opens the door to even greater possibilities. It enables us to expand our partnerships with local science and technology companies to enhance the research we produce. This research dimension is incredibly important as we strive to make a lasting impact on the corporate world by contributing to innovation and supporting start-ups. Most importantly, IDEX ensures that HEC Paris will play a leading role in bringing French higher education into the global spotlight.

Bernard Ramanantsoa  
Dean of HEC Paris

KEY IDEAS

• IDEX scheme: a reform program sponsored by the French government that supports academic partnerships
• In 2012, University Paris-Saclay, which includes HEC Paris, was named an IDEX group
• IDEX Paris‐Saclay includes two universities, 10 grandes écoles  and seven research organizations