Photo © Leslie DELAMARRE

 A little over 10 years ago, in October 2011 to be more specific, Françoise Rey, then Deputy Dean of ESSEC wanted to offer a seminar that would meet a number of objectives:

• bring together all the students of a cohort for the first and perhaps the only time

• foster a more inclusive spirit among students, regardless of their origin (French, international students), their personal circumstances (e.g. admitted on the basis of prior qualifications or through the School’s competitive entry exam, etc.) or their academic background (engineering, humanities, etc.)

• provide students with the tools for developing a new and more future-looking mindset instead of only looking to the next term

• help students develop their creativity, something which is critical considering how uniform, sometimes even standardized, their prior academic or professional experiences might have been.

Our proposal was this: to organize an entire week dedicated to imagination, during which students would encounter inspiring people who are not mere commentators, but rather individuals who have enjoyed extraordinary experiences thanks to their imagination. In addition; students would attend workshops facilitated by professionals and built on a unique methodology developed exclusively at ESSEC–which would be improved upon year after year. 

We further proposed students be set the objective of creating, for the end of the Week, a visionary, innovative and sustainable project that aligns with the School’s values. 

Moreover, as art is a major vehicle for imagination, we felt it important to also invite artists in residence to Cergy, a first since the establishment of the school in 1973. 

That is how iMagination Week saw the light of day, inaugurated in January 2012.

In 2013, Jean-Michel Blanquer, ESSEC’s then Dean and President, wanted to broaden the scope of iMagination Week and asked for it to be extended to the BBA program, an initiative which was warmly welcomed by Hugues Levecq, Dean of BBA program. Under the impetus of Anne-Claire Pache, the Associate Dean of the Master in Management, we also developed the seminar for the Singapore campus. In 2016, when Vincenzo Esposito Vinzi was appointed to lead ESSEC, iMagination Week took on a new dimension with the development of Executive Education initiatives and the establishment of the iMagination Center, a body that would prolong the existence of the scheme beyond the annual seminars. 

Most recently, in 2018, Felix Papier, Dean of Pre-Experience Programs and Director of the Grande École converted the seminar into a core course, and so a necessary requirement for graduation. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for the trust they have placed in us over these 10 years.

Since the first seminar in 2012, more than 13,000 students have taken part in iMagination Week. This unique Week does not discuss traditional business school disciplines, nor does it feature companies or other organizations. 

It is a week that has featured several hundred speakers in France and Singapore from all walks of life: singers; physicists; craftsmen; philosophers; mathematicians; artists; Nobel Prize winners; comedians; politicians; etc. 

iMagination Week truly puts transdisciplinarity into action. This seminar has received numerous educational awards and is recognized as a unique experience in the world of business schools. Although there were some difficulties, doubts, and challenges—which is the fate of any pioneering initiative—the Imagination Center’s teams have always endeavoured their utmost to deliver the best possible experience for our students and participants and to ensure this Week remains a key feature that sets ESSEC apart. 

Xavier Pavie

For the iMagination Center