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EDHEC Business School
Business school in Lille, France From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The École des Hautes Études Commerciales du Nord, commonly known as EDHEC Business School or simply EDHEC, is a French business school and grande école founded in 1906. It has campuses in Lille, Nice, and Paris, as well as in the United Kingdom and Singapore.[2]
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EDHEC is accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA (triple accreditation). In 2019, EDHEC had 8,600 students enrolled in traditional graduate and undergraduate programmes, 245 exchange and double-degree agreements, and an alumni network of more than 40,000 members across 125 countries.[2]
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History
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EDHEC Business School was founded in Lille in 1906 by industrialists from northern France. Initially established as a commercial section within the École des Hautes Études Industrielles (HEI), the school was created with the objective of addressing the commercial and industrial needs of northern France. Its founding occurred in the context of the broader industrial revolution that transformed northern France in the 19th century. Between 1850 and 1914, Lille and its neighbouring cities became major industrial and financial centres, prompting regional elites to seek ways to prepare their children and future professionals for business careers, ultimately leading to the creation of EDHEC.[4][5][6]
In 1921, the commercial section was integrated into the Faculté Libre de Droit, becoming known as HEC Nord (French: Hautes Études Commerciales du Nord, lit. 'Advanced Business Studies of the North'). However, following a legal dispute with HEC Paris over the use of the name, the institution was renamed EDHEC (French: École des Hautes Études Commerciales du Nord, lit. 'School of Advanced Business Studies of the North') in 1951. The school received state accreditation in 1971. The alumni association, initially founded in 1947 as the Amicale de l'EDHEC du Nord, eventually became the Association des Diplômés EDHEC. This organization has played a key role in fostering connections among graduates and supporting the school's community. Since 1953, the association has published a bulletin titled Quo Vadis and later renamed EDHEC Informations.[7]

In the early 2000s, the school initiated a strategic repositioning around a limited number of specialised fields. Finance was designated as a primary focus, leading to the creation of the EDHEC Risk Institute with the aim of producing research that could be commercialised and sold to the financial industry. Despite internal opposition, this initiative gained traction, and financial research now represents an important part of the school’s revenue.[8]
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Academics

EDHEC Business School is a Grande école, a type of French higher education institution that operates independently from the public university system, though it often maintains connections with it.[9][10][11] Similar to Ivy League schools in the United States, Oxbridge in the UK, and C9 League in China, graduation from a Grande école is considered the prerequisite credential for any top government, administrative and corporate position in France.[12][13]
Programmes
EDHEC offers a Master in Management, also known as the Grande École programme, along with several Master of Science (MSc) degrees, MBA programmes, and a PhD in Finance.[14][15]
Rankings
European Business Schools
- Financial Times - European Business School Rankings 2024: 7[16]
Master in Management (Programme Grande École)
- Financial Times - Global Ranking 2024: 4[17]
Master in Finance
- Financial Times - Global Ranking 2024: 6[18]
Master in Marketing
- QS World University Rankings - Global Ranking 2025: 10[19]
MBA
- Bloomberg Businessweek - European Ranking 2023/2024: 13[20]
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Research
EDHEC Business School conducts academic research with a faculty of over 175 members. The school allocates approximately 20% of its budget to research. The school's research framework includes 13 centers and chairs, which collectively produce over 100 academic articles each year. These contributions cover a wide range of topics in business and finance.[21]
In 2023, EDHEC sold 93% of its subsidiary, Scientific Beta, to the Singapore Exchange. Valued at €200 million and established in 2012, Scientific Beta focuses on alternative index design. It has developed a global client base, including pension funds and asset managers. The proceeds from this sale were used to finance EDHEC's research projects, including the development of a database for infrastructure investments and a fintech initiative evaluating the financial, social, and environmental risks of long-term investments.[22]
Campus
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The main campus in Lille is set within a 21-acre park, part of a 49-acre estate formerly owned by Eugène Motte-Duthoit (1860-1932), a prominent textile industrialist and political figure in Roubaix. In the 1980s, IBM acquired the property and established its headquarters on the site. It was later occupied by the bank Groupe Caisse d'Épargne, before being purchased by EDHEC Business School, which relocated its campus from Lille’s Vauban district in 2010. The ground features century-old trees and includes a manor built in 1924, designed by the architect Jacques Gréber.[23] Located near the main campus, the Jean Arnault campus is named after Bernard Arnault’s father and serves both as a training centre and incubator. Donated by the Arnault family in 2021, it occupies the former family home of Bernard Arnault’s parents.[24]
The Nice campus, inaugurated in 1991, is located by the seaside at the end of the Promenade des Anglais. It was the second campus established by EDHEC Business School.[25]
EDHEC Business School established a presence in Singapore in 2010, at the invitation of the Singaporean government which sought to integrate the school into an academic cluster focused on finance in the region. The London campus houses the PhD in Finance programme, and, along with the Singapore campus, hosts the school’s research centres.[26][27]
The Paris campus was inaugurated in 2012 and is located in the Opéra business district. It occupies part of Le Centorial, a historic building constructed in 1895, which once served as the headquarters of the bank Crédit Lyonnais. The building is listed as a historic monument.[28] EDHEC’s startup incubator is located at Station F, a large startup campus in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.[29]
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Student life
EDHEC has over 100 student societies in areas such as sports, humanitarian work, arts, finance, and business services.[30]

The EDHEC Sailing Cup is an annual event organised by students. First initiated in 1969 by three students, the event consists of an annual sailing regatta. By 1980, it had become the largest student sporting event in Europe. The event features a series of sport competitions and attracts participants from business, engineering, and medical schools, both from France and from abroad.[31]
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Notable alumni
- Delphine Arnault - CEO of Dior, Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton.
- Laurent Freixe - CEO of Nestlé.
- Daniel Kablan Duncan - Former Vice-President and Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire.
- Yves Navarre - French writer and founder of the Syndicat des écrivains de langue française (Union of French-speaking Writers).
- Sophie Bellon - Chairwoman of Sodexo.
- Count Alexandre de Lur Saluces - Viticulturist, Manager of Château d'Yquem.
- Christophe Bonduelle - Chairman of Bonduelle.
- Julien Anfruns - Former Director General of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and Director of Corporate Affairs for Philip Morris.
- Laurent Saint-Martin - Minister delegate for Foreign trade and French living abroad.
- Éric Doligé - French politician.
- Pierre-Jean Verzelen - French politician.
- Jean-Jacques Goldman - French singer.
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References
External links
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