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?
