HEC Paris

HEC Paris, officially known as École des hautes études commerciales de Paris, is a prestigious business school and grande école located in Jouy-en-Josas, a suburb southwest of Paris, France. Founded in 1881 by Gustave Emmanuel Roy, president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce, it started with 57 students and aimed to be a leading institution in management and commerce education, similar to the role of École Centrale de Paris in engineering. In 1921, HEC Paris introduced the case-based teaching method inspired by Harvard Business School, although lectures initially remained mostly theoretical. The program was extended to three years in 1938 to provide more comprehensive training. In response to growing demand for North American-style management education in the late 1950s, HEC fully adopted the case method and created a preparatory year to better prepare students for its competitive entrance exam. The school’s campus moved to a large wooded site in Jouy-en-Josas in 1964, inaugurated by French President Charles de Gaulle. Executive education programs began in 1967, and women were admitted starting in 1973, marking a significant step toward gender inclusivity. The doctoral program was established in 1975, and by 1985, HEC gained the authority to award doctoral degrees independently. During the 1980s and 1990s, the school strengthened ties with industry through sponsored professorships and specialized courses in finance and entrepreneurship, reflecting growing internationalization as many graduates began working abroad. In 1988, HEC co-founded the CEMS global alliance of business schools. The school joined the ParisTech and Paris-Saclay University networks in 2008, enhancing its research and academic collaborations. In 2016, it adopted a new public-private partnership status, increasing private investment and governance flexibility. HEC Paris has also expanded its global reach through dual degree programs with top international institutions such as Yale School of Management and launched innovative executive programs in collaboration with platforms like Coursera, continuing its tradition of leadership in business education.