Latchezar HRISTOV
Associate professor in Marketing
The Academic & Research Department carried out several various structural projects in 2023, linked to the development of new programs and existing programs, the school’s scientific aspects and, in particular, high-impact research projects, as well as Knowledge Hub activities. The name of the game for the forthcoming years will be to strengthen the faculty’s impact with both in-house and external stakeholders, in order to promote the academic excellence of Audencia to students, the scientific community, businesses and, more broadly, civil society as a whole.
Thibaut BARDON
Academic & Research Director
53%
of articles published in 2023 were linked to at least 1 of the 3 domains of excellence and 28% of the articles were part of a hybridization approach.
How would you assess 2023?
First and foremost, 2023 witnessed considerable mobilization by faculty members, particularly in developing and launching several programs including 21 MSc and multi-skills Bachelors, despite especially tight deadlines. The year was also marked by the launch, in cooperation with the Gaia school and LQD, of the GIFT project (Gaia Improvement for Future Teaching). The aim of this project is to accelerate transformation of our teaching to take greater account of the stakes linked to ecological and social transition, thanks to the contribution of GIFT ambassadors in each department, as well as the commitment of all the faculty members. The main mission of the GIFT ambassadors, who voluntarily signed up to this project, is to act as catalysts in their departments for elaboration and implementation of a clear, shared roadmap to develop the teaching of their discipline and have a lasting impact on our students, enabling them to become economic players and responsible citizens. As a result, in 2024, various measures will be put in place to train, support and value faculty members: provision of single discipline and cross-disciplinary teaching resources via a portal created by the Knowledge Hub, seminars and pedagogical retreats dedicated to transforming teaching in line with ecological and social transition, conferences and communities of practice with experts in the field, etc. Lastly, 2023 witnessed the implementation of various projects such as the development of in-house monitoring activity via the Knowledge Hub, development of high-impact research projects or also the reform of the AIF (Affiliated International Faculty) system. The aim of this last project is to revisit the support system offered by the AIFs to ensure that it is as well adapted as possible to the needs of the faculty members and the school’s objectives: the choice of AIFs, how they are run and how they are appraised has thus been completely redefined.
What are the CSR commitments that guide your actions?
In addition to the GIFT project or the high-impact research projects mentioned above, it is also important to underline the continuation of all our CSR activities. For example, the next Gaia bootcamp, to be held in early 2024, will bring together more than 10% of faculty members, who will be working on a variety of themes and with different partners, which means that our students will soon be able to study new, exciting and up-to-date case studies. As regards research, more than ever, we are committed to ensuring that our projects are in line with the school’s areas of excellence in relation to social and ecological transition (transforming development and business models, financing and evaluation, and human development in relation to ecological and social transition, etc.). Our department’s objective is to continue supporting all European and domestic projects, research chairs and other funded research programs that are linked to these themes.
What are your objectives for 2024?
2024 will also see the introduction of a new organizational structure, with the Academic and Research Departments merged into a single department. In my view, this is very good news, as it will enable us to take a cross-functional approach to all the faculty’s activities and contribute to better organizational alignment, which was the 4th vector of the ECOS 2025 strategic plan. This obviously requires us to revisit our operating methods in order to improve efficiency, clarity and simplicity. 2024 will also witness the launch of a steering and reporting tool for all academic activities. This project, which is part of the BI, is the result of a year’s work with the DTIS department’s teams. This project will provide us with better tracking of the activities of faculty members at individual level, but also on an aggregated basis at the level of each department, as well as at the level of the school as a whole. Another important challenge for 2024 will concern the massive development of our activities in Paris. The focus is on accelerating our multi-campus approach, mobilizing our permanent faculty members to best serve all our local interests, and developing our part-time faculty of teachers in Paris. We also need to initiate the development of a local academic ecosystem.
What is the one word that defines the strategic direction of your actions between now and the end of the ECOS 2025 strategic plan?
Impact – How can we transform our teaching for better integration of current global issues, particularly those linked to ecological and social transition, in order to have a decisive impact on the development and career paths of our students? How can we develop our research activities in order to produce knowledge that has a genuine impact on our students, the scientific community, businesses and civil society? Obviously, we are convinced that our impact depends on our academic excellence. While some people think that academic rigor is difficult to combine with relevance, or even partly disconnected from practice, we are working hard to demonstrate the opposite on a daily basis. Reflexivity must fuel action! It must be both the guide and the instrument.
Our comprehensive new MSc programme is vocationally oriented to help students achieve their professional goals in marketing
“ In 2022-2023, I was asked to contribute to and project manage the design of the pedagogical content of a new program. The MSc Brand Strategy and Product Management is a modern, forward-looking programme designed to actively prepare students for a wide range of future jobs in marketing, including product and brand management.
The program was developed through continuous dialogue with experienced marketing academics and practitioners, including members of the Audencia Business School Alumni community, who strongly contributed with valuable expert advice. The programme’s academic quality and professional relevance have earned endorsements from national and international accrediting organizations. It recently also achieved the professional accreditation of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and the recognition of the Australian Marketing Institute.
Our comprehensive new MSc programme is vocationally oriented to help students achieve their professional goals in marketing. Its curriculum is thoughtfully structured, offering a balanced mix of subject and technical competencies, encompassing sustainable marketing and brand management, creativity, product innovation, and technical, analytical, and project management competencies, all highly sought after by marketing employers. Sustainability is ingrained into the program’s core curriculum, which also incorporates courses developed by the Gaïa School. During the programme, students will also benefit from participating in various marketing projects with companies, employer events, workshops and masterclasses with leading marketing practitioners. 2024, will mark the opening of the program and the launch of the first class – a time we’re looking forward to.”
