ESC Clermont BS and Strate École de Design Renew their Partnership

A Unique and Forward-thinking Program

Launched in October 2020, the MSc – Master of Science Strategy & Design for the Anthropocene is inspired by the work of three ESC Clermont BS teacher-researchers (Alexandre Monnin, program manager, Diego Landivar, and Emmanuel Bonnet), who are also members of ‘Origens Medialab’ which is part of the Closing Worlds initiative. This initiative focuses on consolidating a new concept: ecological redirection, and emphasizes two main ideas:

• The first gives focus on the insufficiency of Sustainable Development, CSR, and Energy Transition paradigms, which no longer suffice to address the new ecological and climate situation, characterized by unprecedented acceleration and criticality of problems,
• The second argues that the critical state of the climate requires urgent alignment of organizations and companies with planetary boundaries.

This program, which is jointly offered by the ESC Clermont BS and Strate École de Design is certified by the French Graduate Schools of Management consortium; ‘Conférence des Grandes Écoles’ and is taught on Strat’s Lyon campus over a period of 12 to 14 months.

A Renewal Affirming the Need for Training in Ecological Redirection

Through this new agreement, ESC Clermont Business School and Strate École de Design confirm the success and importance of this type of program in ecological redirection. Since the inception of the MSc, 60 students from diverse backgrounds have been trained. Some came from design schools, engineering, management, political science, others were practicing executives or scientists, all eager to implement new models. With the tools acquired during this both theoretical and practical training, students act within their organizations to implement ecological redirection strategies.

Through this program, students can contribute to creating a local IPCC and a local Climate Alliance, help territories democratically determine a model for their future, design and implement democratic protocols of relinquishment for a city of 150,000 inhabitants, investigate the cessation of new construction in the Île-de-France region, streamline company supply chains, work on digital sobriety, rethink economic models and industrial sectors, mobility models, rethink work itself in the Anthropocene perspective, reflect on the low-tech economic model, etc.

An Award-winning Student for the Quality of Her Thesis

The award for the best Master/MSc thesis by the National Digital Council (CNNum) went to Léa Mosesso, a student from the “Strategy & Design for the Anthropocene” MSc program, class of 2021-2022, for her thesis “Living with an Obsolete Smartphone.”

This work, combining social sciences and design, was recognized among 87 theses from 15 disciplines and originating from 44 universities or schools spread across 11 French regions.

Ecological Redirection at the Heart of ESC Clermont BS

To highlight the importance of these topics within the school, four scientific events are being organized during the spring term 2024.

• January 11 and 12, 2024: 7th Creative and Critical Methods and Approaches to Learning and Management Training Days, a research group affiliated with AIMS – International Association of Strategic Management.
• April 3, 2024: Workshop “Upgrading Sustainability in Corporate Governance: Corporate Governance Enabling the Transition to a More Sustainable Economy.”
• April 9, 2024: NIBES Workshop “Managing Organisations Under Planetary Limits.”
• June 19, 20, and 21, 2024: Conference “Anthropocene and Organization.”