Social Impact scholarships awarded for inaugural Online Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at HEC Paris

To mark the launch of its Online Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OMIE), HEC Paris has awarded three scholarships to applicants of the programme.

Announced last year, and commencing in August 2018, the OMIE is HEC Paris’ first fully online international degree programme. Designed in partnership with Coursera, the programme aims to create business leaders who can build a fairer, more sustainable world.

The programme seeks to equip current and aspiring entrepreneurs, consultants and business leaders with the necessary skills to identify and develop new ventures, and drive innovations which promote sustainability, gender equality and social betterment.

It’s fully online format provides students with the advantage of studying at their own pace and convenience, whilst simultaneously keeping them connected to HEC’s expert faculty, business consultants, mentors and classmates, regardless of their global location.

To further its socially-focused ethos, the OMIE Impact Fellowships were set up to support applicants who could clearly demonstrate the positive impact the OMIE programme would have on their future careers, communities and their organisations, in one or more of the following areas;

• Fostering Social Innovation or Social Business
• Contributing toward Sustainable Development
• Improving innovation and/or entrepreneurship opportunities in developing countries or impoverished communities
• Contributing to gender equality in society and business

A maximum of €5,000 was made available to each recipient.

This year’s scholarship recipients include Efthymia Lioliou, a Research Associate in Biology who, through the OMIE, wishes to utilise her PhD in biochemistry and background in molecular biology and genetics to launch a socially focused start-up. Her business idea involves biotechnologically producing and distributing a synthetic protein to tackle malnourishment in the world’s most underdeveloped communities.

Efthymia says,

“Receiving the OMIE Impact Fellowship has provided a really valuable learning opportunity for me. Whilst my venture is currently only at the ideas stage, I hope the OMIE will increase its feasibility by providing me with the knowledge, skills, and connections to get it off the ground.”

Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris Business School says,

“The OMIE Impact Fellowship is a great way for us to further support top talent in any corner of the world. The idea is simple: empower participants to create a tangible, positive impact in their communities through social innovation or through entrepreneurial ventures that foster sustainable development and gender equality. These are issues which are deeply ingrained in HEC Paris’ DNA.”

Aside of providing a modern, flexible online degree programme, the OMIE also connects students to the wider HEC community, providing academic guidance, careers services, start-up support through HEC’s links to incubators such as Station F in central Paris and links to socially-focused entrepreneurial alumni.

Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera says,

"The HEC Paris OMIE degree gives entrepreneurs access to a first class curriculum from a top business school and an international network of business leaders. The newly launched Impact Fellowship widens the opportunity for every aspiring entrepreneur to change lives around the world."

Whilst the deadline for applications for the OMIE Impact Fellowship has now passed, applicants can still apply to enrol on the programme, beginning on August 16th 2018. Early admission is still available until June. The final deadline for applications is July 5th.

To learn more about the programme, and to apply, please visit: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/masters-innovation-entrepre...

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About Coursera

Coursera is an online education company that partners with 150 of the world’s top universities and education institutions to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower learners around the world to achieve their career, educational, and personal enrichment goals throughout their lives. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 25 million registered learners who can choose among 2,000 courses and 180 Specializations available to enroll in at any time.

About HEC Paris

Specializing in management education and research, HEC Paris offers a complete and unique range of educational programs for the leaders of tomorrow: Masters programs, Summer School, MBA, PhD, Executive MBA, TRIUM Global Executive MBA, open-enrolment and custom executive education programs.

Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris is a founding member of the Université Paris-Saclay. It boasts a faculty of 138 full-time professors, more than 4,400 students and over 8,000 managers and executives in training each year.