EM Lyon and Grenoble GSB to merge


Duncan

The two leading business schools headquartered in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France have announced an alliance. The new project will be called the Lyon Grenoble Business School Alliance. The plan includes the harmonisation of their programmes and the centralisation of faculty recruitment.

The press release is online at:-
http://www.em-lyon.com/fr/actualite-ecole-de-commerce/communiques-sur-l-ecole-de-commerce/Alliance-emlyon-business-school-et-Grenoble-Ecole-de-Management

[Edited by Duncan on Jan 25, 2017]

The two leading business schools headquartered in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France have announced an alliance. The new project will be called the Lyon Grenoble Business School Alliance. The plan includes the harmonisation of their programmes and the centralisation of faculty recruitment.

The press release is online at:-
http://www.em-lyon.com/fr/actualite-ecole-de-commerce/communiques-sur-l-ecole-de-commerce/Alliance-emlyon-business-school-et-Grenoble-Ecole-de-Management
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Duncan

There's a good report at Challenges: http://www.challenges.fr/challenges-soir/20160329.CHA6917/pourquoi-l-emlyon-et-grenoble-ecole-de-management-se-rapprochent.html

There's a good report at Challenges: http://www.challenges.fr/challenges-soir/20160329.CHA6917/pourquoi-l-emlyon-et-grenoble-ecole-de-management-se-rapprochent.html
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yipkc

What can it imply Duncan? Will the merger create a better institution? These 2 business schools themselves are well respected in their own rights.

What can it imply Duncan? Will the merger create a better institution? These 2 business schools themselves are well respected in their own rights.
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Duncan

Since the new dean of EMLyon led the merger that created Kedge, we can say that an alliance could produce a similar and slightly better institution. Key for all the grandes ecoles is the need to respond to cuts in funding, which push them to internationalise. French schools are great at internationalising in the Francophone world, but the opportunity is with students in Asia and Africa where huge cities don't have world-class MBAs, partly to bring them to France but more likely to open local campuses which better allow networking between them (here there's a lot to learn from ESSEC, EDHEC, ESCP and Alliance MBS). The Université Mundiapolis de Casablanca project shows what is possible:- business schools can ally with their partner universities to offer wider academic options. Consider, for example, the partner programmes those schools already offer with local engineering schools.

The schools will also push their programmes out to the other campuses much more. EMLyon, for example, has already moved its English-language masters in finance to its Paris location, and I guess that the two schools' campuses in Paris could merge eventually (I guess EMLyon might move its Paris programmes into the Grenoble building).

That said, we could see the de-duplication of courses between the campuses (with the exception of the doctoral programmes, since students need to be close to their supervisors).

The difficult thing will be the internationalisation strategy. EMLyon wants to control its brand and, as the EML Geneva failure in Switzerland shows, it preferred to close a campus rather than not be assured of a great experience. However, Grenoble provides its courses to the LSBF outfit in London, which surely must have a brand risk, although it has better partners for its DBA programmes abroad.

Because of the growing internationalisation of the school, I wonder if the Lyon Grenoble alliance name will make sense for long? Since Manchester has the Alliance name, perhaps Alpes is a good name offering both Frenchness and the idea of heights of excellence?

[Edited by Duncan on Jan 25, 2017]

Since the new dean of EMLyon led the merger that created Kedge, we can say that an alliance could produce a similar and slightly better institution. Key for all the grandes ecoles is the need to respond to cuts in funding, which push them to internationalise. French schools are great at internationalising in the Francophone world, but the opportunity is with students in Asia and Africa where huge cities don't have world-class MBAs, partly to bring them to France but more likely to open local campuses which better allow networking between them (here there's a lot to learn from ESSEC, EDHEC, ESCP and Alliance MBS). The Université Mundiapolis de Casablanca project shows what is possible:- business schools can ally with their partner universities to offer wider academic options. Consider, for example, the partner programmes those schools already offer with local engineering schools.

The schools will also push their programmes out to the other campuses much more. EMLyon, for example, has already moved its English-language masters in finance to its Paris location, and I guess that the two schools' campuses in Paris could merge eventually (I guess EMLyon might move its Paris programmes into the Grenoble building).

That said, we could see the de-duplication of courses between the campuses (with the exception of the doctoral programmes, since students need to be close to their supervisors).

The difficult thing will be the internationalisation strategy. EMLyon wants to control its brand and, as the EML Geneva failure in Switzerland shows, it preferred to close a campus rather than not be assured of a great experience. However, Grenoble provides its courses to the LSBF outfit in London, which surely must have a brand risk, although it has better partners for its DBA programmes abroad.

Because of the growing internationalisation of the school, I wonder if the Lyon Grenoble alliance name will make sense for long? Since Manchester has the Alliance name, perhaps Alpes is a good name offering both Frenchness and the idea of heights of excellence?
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donho199

Sorry to say things outside of the topic but Duncan you speak French?

Sorry to say things outside of the topic but Duncan you speak French?
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Duncan

I speak a bit of French: I also studied at the Catholic University in Lyon.

I speak a bit of French: I also studied at the Catholic University in Lyon.
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Inactive User

Wow, interesting since there have been so many mergers of French b-schools in the past few years - Rouen/Reims, CERAM/ESC Lille, BEM/ESC Marseille (Kedge)...

Wow, interesting since there have been so many mergers of French b-schools in the past few years - Rouen/Reims, CERAM/ESC Lille, BEM/ESC Marseille (Kedge)...
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Duncan

And the failed France Business School merger.... that's the impact of the falling subsidies. The schools need to lower costs and get hard currencies.

And the failed France Business School merger.... that's the impact of the falling subsidies. The schools need to lower costs and get hard currencies.
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badux

and now Grenoble is going into the German market (with GISMA)

http://find-mba.com/news/2016/04/gisma-business-school-to-launch-an-mba-in-berlin

and now Grenoble is going into the German market (with GISMA)

http://find-mba.com/news/2016/04/gisma-business-school-to-launch-an-mba-in-berlin
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Duncan

Update here stressing that it is an alliance rather than a merger: http://www.placegrenet.fr/2016/05/03/alliance-at-the-summit-for-em-lyon-and-grenoble-school-of-management/89234

Update here stressing that it is an alliance rather than a merger: http://www.placegrenet.fr/2016/05/03/alliance-at-the-summit-for-em-lyon-and-grenoble-school-of-management/89234
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yipkc

I suppose that it will just be a replica case of Ashridge-Hult...

I suppose that it will just be a replica case of Ashridge-Hult...
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badux

With the biggest difference that the end goal of the Ashridge-Hult alliance is to complete a full merger of the two entities into one b-school. As the link Duncan post stated, both Grenoble and EMLyon seem to maintaining some level of separate operations.

With the biggest difference that the end goal of the Ashridge-Hult alliance is to complete a full merger of the two entities into one b-school. As the link Duncan post stated, both Grenoble and EMLyon seem to maintaining some level of separate operations.
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Duncan

I just found this great interview with the Grenoble dean: http://orientation.blog.lemonde.fr/2016/04/20/l-alliance-lyon-grenoble-business-school-decryptee-entretien-avec-loick-roche-gem/
- PhD programmes should merge
- Schools maintain their own brands, especially for the Grande Ecole programme
- A third 'container' created for the alliance.

I just found this great interview with the Grenoble dean: http://orientation.blog.lemonde.fr/2016/04/20/l-alliance-lyon-grenoble-business-school-decryptee-entretien-avec-loick-roche-gem/
- PhD programmes should merge
- Schools maintain their own brands, especially for the Grande Ecole programme
- A third 'container' created for the alliance.
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donho199

You read French Duncan? How impressive, I am hopeless

You read French Duncan? How impressive, I am hopeless
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Duncan

Not really impressive. We had to learn it from 11 at high school. But bing and Google translate to English ☺

Not really impressive. We had to learn it from 11 at high school. But bing and Google translate to English ☺
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