• ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus stands out for its diverse student body.
• Avenues to develop valuable cross-cultural competence woven into the curriculum.
• Inclusiveness on campus facilitates an enriching student life.

While studying at Vellore Institute of Technology, Adithya Pillai’s classmates came from a similar background. They were Indian, had grown up in the country, and studied engineering.

Shiyi Huang’s undergraduate experience was similar: Her classmates were predominantly Chinese, from China, and, like her, had a background in economics.

Today, while doing the Master in Management (MIM) program at ESSEC Asia-Pacific, the situation is vastly different.

Classmates hail from countries across Asia and Europe and have different backgrounds—from engineering to finance and pharmacy to business.

They say this diversity, in terms of nationalities and sectors, is one of the biggest perks of being at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus.

Opportunities to Develop Cross-cultural Competence

Adithya and Shiyi explain that working with classmates of different nationalities during group projects has been valuable in developing their cross-cultural communication skills—a skill ranked top in-demand on the GMAC’s 2023 Corporate Recruiter’s Survey.

For example, their groups for the Junior Consulting Experience (JCE—an opportunity for students to work as consultants for actual companies) comprise a mix of Indian, Chinese, and French students.

“It’s a cumulation of three different cultures and ways of working. We might be looking at the same thing, but we’ll each have a different approach. It’s been insightful to hear their perspectives and to share my views,” Adithya says.

Shiyi agrees. “I’ve been able to learn about different cultures and improve my command of the English language so that I can communicate with people from different countries. This is important if I want to work in an international company.”

Enriching Student Life Activities

Shiyi adds that the cultural exchange is only amplified at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus, as everyone is an international student and lives far away from home.

In her experience, this has made her classmates extremely willing to go out of their comfort zones, mingle, and socialize.

She notes that ESSEC facilitates these interactions by organizing events for students to get to know each other within their program and through student clubs.

To get to know her schoolmates and simultaneously improve her knowledge of the finance industry, she chose to join the Finance Club.

This group arranges talks by finance professionals and workshops to help students prepare for the job application process.

Adithya, who signed up for the Badminton, Football, and Indian Clubs, has similarly found the openness and inclusivity on campus impressive.

“I think the Indian club has more French members than Indian ones,” he exclaims. “During the recent dance night, there were so many people who were not of Indian origin sharing food and learning the steps to traditional Indian dances.”

“It’s always fun to share my culture, and I’m glad to have met so many people willing to learn more about our beliefs and traditions!”