On Thursday, April 2, 2026, the ESSEC Foundation held its annual ceremony at the Institut Catholique de Paris. The evening brought together the entire ESSEC community: faculty, researchers, students, donors, staff, and alumni, to celebrate three core pillars of the Foundation: equal opportunity, academic excellence, and responsible entrepreneurship.

Recognizing excellence in research and pedagogy is a key strategic priority for a business school’s global standing and educational quality. Each year, the Foundation presents awards to support the faculty’s research efforts and innovative teaching methods.

In line with its mission to monitor and share educational trends, Pedagolab is pleased to spotlight this year’s winners in the teaching-related categories.

This year, the awards were expanded to include a prize for the best business case study, in order to further highlight educational initiatives. Read the interview with ESSEC Professor Arthur Gautier in which we discussed the challenges involved in establishing this award (article in French).

Could you tell us a little about your background?
I’m an ESSEC alumnus, and it’s been a long time: back then, they were still teaching us about the USSR’s five-year plans, since this was before the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also about Dasein (Being-there)… What could be further removed from the Soviet economy or the thought of Martin Heidegger than the fundamentals of liberal economics taught elsewhere at the school? This open-mindedness, which has never left ESSEC, combined with a calling for teaching and research led me to the desire to become a professor there.
I wanted to teach both management and philosophy. So I completed two full degree programs in both disciplines, earning a Habilitation to Supervise Research in each. I like to say now that philosophy is the art of asking the right questions, and management is the art of answering them.

What role does this prize play for you?
It is the very official recognition of my commitment to students of all ages, a commitment that mirrors their own and their desire for a meaningful life, within an institution that does everything in its power to foster the ability to take a step back and question reality, as well as the practical skills necessary for everyday life—on every level: economic, social, and political.

Receiving the Award for Excellence in Teaching is a tremendous honor for me, especially since it comes from the students. Above all, it reflects the trust they have placed in me. In applied mathematics and statistics, students arrive with a wide range of skill levels. My approach is to support each student in their progress, particularly through preparatory remedial courses, while maintaining high academic standards for everyone. This work is supported by a high-quality educational environment, built on trust and open communication among teams, particularly with the subject coordinators, whose role is essential in the ongoing adaptation of our curriculum by incorporating feedback from teachers. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them. I am convinced that two factors are essential: the confidence students develop in their ability to succeed, and the flexibility of the teaching staff.

I am very grateful to receive this award and would like to thank the donors and the ESSEC Foundation, whose support helps create dynamic classroom environments where students can engage in thoughtful discussion and critical thinking. I see teaching as a two-way process rather than a one-way transmission of knowledge. The most valuable moments for me are when students challenge assumptions, question ideas, and engage in real debate, sometimes quite energetically! When a session becomes a space for different perspectives, the learning experience is richer for all of us.

Thank you very much for this distinction. I am truly honored to receive the Pedagogical Experience “Daniel Tixier” Award. As a faculty member based on ESSEC’s Singapore campus, this recognition is especially meaningful to me.
It celebrates something I believe deeply: teaching cannot stand still, because our learners are connected, informed… and never far from their devices.
Each generation brings different expectations, different aspirations, and a different relationship to technology and learning. As teachers, we can choose to complain about that — or we can do something much more interesting: we can learn too. That has been the spirit of my work. I try to bring my research into the classroom and weave it into immersive learning experiences that create real “aha” moments. Whether through virtual reality, simulation, or other experiential formats, my aim is to make learning more vivid, more engaging, and more memorable.
I believe meaningful learning must be both individual and social. Long after they leave ESSEC, students may not remember every slide or every syllabus, but they do remember the experiences that moved them. And that is what they carry with them into broader society.

Tell us about your career path in a few lines
My engagement with companies through executive education, consulting, and research sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital strategy, and product development. At ESSEC, I have had the opportunity to bring this work directly into the classroom through Executive Education programs including “AI & Leadership: Impact on Strategy and Innovation”, as well as through the “Managing AI” course. In our programs, participants don’t just investigate the implications of disruptive technologies in theory, but rather build GenAI-powered startup prototypes themselves. Working with global organizations as diverse as BNP Paribas, Danone, and FIA has reinforced my conviction that the most impactful insights emerge when research, teaching, and practice are in constant dialogue.

What role does this prize play for you?
Developing a case study that truly works in the classroom, meaning one that conveys clear managerial implications in a way that sparks genuine student engagement, while also being rigorous enough to reflect the research insights available takes considerable time and iteration. This prize is a meaningful recognition that this effort matters. It encourages me to continue investing in pedagogical materials that bring cutting-edge research on AI, digital strategy, and the managerial implications of emerging technologies to life for both the current and the next generation of leaders. It also sends a strong signal that ESSEC values the bridge between research and teaching, and frankly, I think that bridge is everything. 

The ESSEC Foundation’s 2026 Awards Ceremony highlighted the tangible impact of the ESSEC community and donors on the evolution of teaching practices. Whether through the adaptation of applied mathematics, the creation of real-world case studies, or the use of virtual reality, the award-winning professors share a common vision: placing student experience and engagement at the heart of their mission. By constantly strengthening the bridge between research and the transmission of knowledge, ESSEC continues to consolidate its academic excellence and international influence.