At EM Normandie Business School, the new academic year means “Back to Real Life” and the chance to thrive

Our student years are often considered to be the best years of our life, yet young people have been hit hard by the health crisis in 2020-2021. EM Normandie has therefore gone the extra mile to promise a warm and friendly start to the new academic year focusing on what matters most: getting together, interaction, good spirit and kindness and giving everyone a role to play, as students rediscover their zest for learning and being part of a tight-knit community. Fun-filled Welcome Weeks, with academic undertones, are set to go ahead for ALL students on the Caen, Le Havre, Paris, Oxford and Dublin campuses. In a School that is attracting an ever-increasing number of learners, the teams have so many exciting ideas in mind for welcoming students.

Another record start to the academic year

The new academic year begins on 31 August when the first wave of international students will arrive at the Le Havre, Caen and Paris campuses for a Kick Off event including a campus tour, Ice Breaker, introduction to French culture, etc. In total, more than 1,000 international students (a 61% increase since last year) will be joining the school. The Business School is expecting approximately 2,100 new students, almost 30% more than last year, on the Bachelor’s in International Management, Master’s in Management (Programme Grande Ecole), as well as its MS and MSc courses. Once again, this year, EM Normandie recruited a very large number of students via the post-bac SESAME, Passerelle Bachelor, Passerelle Grande Ecole and BCE competitive exams, and through its own national and international admissions processes. More than ever before, the Grande Ecole system remains a firm favourite.

A 15-day settling in period to allow students to come together and find their feet

A services fair and themed webinars will present association and community projects, community life, academic programmes and their tailored pathways, immersive and gamified courses, etc., the Hub (one-stop-shop for students), the Career Path and the international perspective and foreign placement opportunities. Information will also be provided on the Wellbeing and Inclusion service, support available for students with disabilities and those requiring psychological and social assistance.

As Be Engaged is one of the key principles that EM Normandie seeks to instill in students, workshops centred on raising awareness about sustainable development and CSR will be led by student ambassadors. Student representatives from the STOP Harassment unit will also run workshops on respecting others, anti-harassment, sexual and gender-based violence and the risks of inappropriate behaviour during the settling in period. The EM Normandie Alumni association is looking forward to promoting its activities and the services members will benefit from as soon they join, as well as social events.
Finally, the faculty will arrange discussions led by lecturers-researchers on topics related to their profession, research, the end-of-course dissertation, educational experiences (courses, Business Games, flipped classroom learning, etc.) and the student learning environment with the SmartEcole® platform.

As for social activities, the student Welcome Team and societies have it all planned out; Discovery Games (quizzes, blind tests, tournaments, etc.), Team Building exercises and EM Days (sports day, Olympics, concerts and evening events) will run throughout the two weeks promising a memorable start to the school year and the full EM Normandie experience!

In Dublin, from 6 September, students will enjoy two weeks of enjoyable activities to help them settle in the city and get their bearings. On the menu: course presentations, exploring the city, treasure hunt, visit to the prestigious Microsoft headquarters, meeting Alumni working in Dublin, Team Building activities, kayaking in the Dublin countryside, and, of course, discovering the local pubs! 

In Oxford, the settling-in period will begin on 4 October with tours of the city and surrounding areas. A “Junkyard” indoor mini-golf course, treasure hunt and full schedule of online and face-to-face events will be on offer. The Welcome Weeks will end with a gala evening at the Town Hall, attended by the Mayor of Oxford, followed by a cocktail reception and private cruise on the Thames.
All of these activities will comply with current health regulations. 

In the spirit of “Back to Real Life” and in accordance with the measures set out in the DGESIP (General Directorate of Higher Education and Professional Integration) circular of 5 August 2021 on the “guidelines relating to health measures to apply at the start of the 2021 academic year”, the school will welcome students according to the capacities of its national campuses, where masks will be mandatory. All courses will therefore be delivered face-to-face, yet international students who are unable to attend the sites will be given remote access. The same will apply in Oxford and Dublin.

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO PREPARE YOUR BACK TO SCHOOL