The special issue is available here. For a mobile-friendly version, click here.

In 2020, ESSEC launched its RISE Strategy. This strategy, designed to meet the needs of 21st century students and businesses alike, consists of three strategic pillars: data and AI, entrepreneurship and innovation, and addressing social and environmental challenges. Over the last three years, ESSEC faculty have been busy conducting innovative, impactful research on these topics. Their work is highlighted in this special issue.

It is impossible to overstate the profound impact that artificial intelligence (AI) has had on our world. It is both the catalyst for remarkable progress and the harbinger of profound change. ESSEC professors explore various facets, like how companies can use ChatGPT to their advantage, the digital transformation, and the impact on the world of work. Change is also afoot via entrepreneurship and innovation, an area ESSEC faculty knows well. Here, they discuss social entrepreneurship, how play can boost innovation, and equality in entrepreneurship. Finally, ESSEC is committed to addressing our world’s social and environmental challenges, in an initiative dubbed “Together”. ESSEC professors share their work on workplace equality and harness research for climate change solutions.

These three topics are often intertwined, in research as in life. They form the building blocks to a ESSEC’s holistic approach to business education. ESSEC's dedication to these areas demonstrates a commitment to nurturing the leaders of tomorrow, who will be equipped to drive positive change, foster innovation, and address the most pressing global challenges. This special issue showcases ESSEC's vision and pursuit of excellence in pedagogy and research.

Julia Smith, Editor-in-Chief of ESSEC Knowledge