Member Article

Social Impact scholarships awarded for inaugural Online Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at HEC Paris

To mark the launch of its Online Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OMIE), HEC Paris has awarded three scholarships to applicants of the programme.

Launched in September 2017, the OMIE is HEC Paris’ first fully online international degree programme. Designed in partnership with Coursera, the programme aims to create business leaders who can build a fairer, more sustainable world.

The programme seeks to equip current and aspiring entrepreneurs, consultants and business leaders with the necessary skills to identify and develop new ventures, and drive innovations which promote sustainability, gender equality and social betterment.

To further its socially-focused ethos, the OMIE Impact Fellowships were set up to support students enrolling on the programme who could clearly demonstrate the positive impact the OMIE programme would have on their future careers, communities and their organisations, in one or more of the following areas;

• Fostering Social Innovation or Social Business • Contributing toward Sustainable Development • Improving innovation and/or entrepreneurship opportunities in developing countries or impoverished communities • Contributing to gender equality in society and business

A maximum of €5,000 was made available to each recipient.

Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris Business School says,

“The OMIE Impact Fellowship is a great way for us to further support top talent in any corner of the world. The idea is simple: empower participants to create a tangible, positive impact in their communities through social innovation or through entrepreneurial ventures that foster sustainable development and gender equality. These are issues which are deeply ingrained in HEC Paris’ DNA.”

One such scholarship recipient is Efthymia Lioliou, a Research Associate in Biology who, through the OMIE, wishes to utilise her PhD in biochemistry and background in molecular biology and genetics to launch a socially focused start-up. Her business idea involves biotechnologically producing and distributing a synthetic protein to tackle malnourishment in the world’s most underdeveloped communities.

Efthymia says,

“Receiving the OMIE Impact Fellowship has provided a really valuable learning opportunity for me. Whilst my venture is currently only at the ideas stage, I hope the OMIE will increase its feasibility by providing me with the knowledge, skills, and connections to get it off the ground.”

The OMIE’s fully online format provides students with the advantage of studying at their own pace and convenience, conducting their studies over a period of between 10 to 16 months depending on their preferences. Students remain connected to HEC’s expert faculty, business consultants, mentors and classmates, regardless of their global location.

Aside of providing a modern, flexible online degree programme, the OMIE also connects students to the wider HEC community, providing academic guidance, careers services, start-up support through HEC’s links to incubators such as Station F in central Paris and links to socially-focused entrepreneurial alumni.

Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera says,

“The HEC Paris OMIE degree gives entrepreneurs access to a first class curriculum from a top business school and an international network of business leaders. The newly launched Impact Fellowship widens the opportunity for every aspiring entrepreneur to change lives around the world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HEC Paris .