From September 24th to 26th, 2009, just right before the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, Dean Bernanrd Ramanantsoa of HEC Paris paid a visit to Beijing, China along with Madam Barré, Head of International Development in Asia of HEC Paris and Professor Jean-Paul Larcon, Senior Deputy Dean of HEC Paris.

As the only authorized organization in China by HEC Paris to operate and develop its executive education in China and to provide full logistics service and technical support to the programs, CCIParis Consulting Co.,Ltd. (CCIParis Consulting) arranged meetings for the Dean with key institutions during his visit to China. Mr. Frédéric Beraha, General Director of CCIParis and Ms Elodie Xu, Deputy Director of CCIParis Consulting, Head of HEC Paris Executive Education China Programs accompanied the Dean to these meetings.

CCIParis Consulting was established in May 2009 to support the development of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) in China and provide a broad range of logistics service and technical support to the affiliated companies of the chamber.

Founded in 1803, CCIP, the largest public organization in France and also in Europe represents 320,000 enterprises in Greater Paris Area where is surrounded by three main regions (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne). Under its jurisdiction, the annual output value of these enterprises, accounts for 1/4 of France's GDP. CCIP educates each year 14 000 students as well as more than 40 000 employees and Executives in continuing education via its 12 schools and 13 training centers. HEC Paris, the No.1 Business School in Europe is undoubtedly the top among all these institutes which are affiliated to CCIP.

HEC Paris has been working very hard in last few years to expand its business development in China under the great support of CCIP. After a successful launching of the HEC Executive MBA Beijing Class in 2006 under the auspices of the Training Center of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), HEC Paris has honorably accepted an invitation from the Training Center of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and introduced its HEC Executive MBA to the Shanghai market and in July 2009, the Shanghai Class was solemnly opened.

With the aim of supporting the development of HEC Paris in China and help implement its unique business management expertise within Chinese enterprises and business communities which are closely related to China, CCIP decided to create a business unit in Beijing, China at the beginning of 2008. After one and a half years’ preparation and efforts, CCIParis Consulting – a wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE) of CCIP, was officially founded in Beijing this May. The establishment of CCIP WOFE in China is both of a strategic extension of the international reputation of HEC Paris and a hallmark of the globalization of the institute, which enables the implementation of the advanced management skills and knowledge of HEC Paris in China and helps Chinese executives to improve business expertise rapidly and to master the advanced management tools and unique business insights in order to cope with the increasingly fierce market competition in a global context.

In future, CCIParis Consulting will not only provide better services to the operation of HEC Paris business unit in China and the participants and partners of the training programs in China, but will also give full support which will be based on the demand of the business development in China from the affiliated enterprises of CCIP. CCIParis Consulting also devotes its efforts in establishing a wider exchange and a better business platform between Sino - French enterprises. by serving more and more clients in China.

During Mr. Dean’s stay, he also paid a special visit to the HEC Executive MBA Beijing Class and gave a passionate speech to the participants. He said, “With the support of CCIP, HEC Paris has always been trying to extend its business development in China. After the successful partnership established respectively in 2006 and 2008 with SASAC and NDRC Training Center on delivering the training programs of HEC Executive MBA in Beijing and Shanghai, the HEC Executive MBA China Programs have successfully held 3 classes and are now focusing on the on-going 4th class.

Being the no.1 business school in Europe for 3 consecutive years in the Financial Times from 2006, HEC Paris has the responsibility to give assets to help leaders in all industries in China re-think their strategy in today’s economic turmoil. Meanwhile, it is also HEC’s responsibility to implement our international advanced business skills and knowledge within China. HEC Paris is very honored to be able to contribute its core value to the business development of China.”

Later, invited by the Training Center of SASAC, the Dean, Madam Barré and Prof. Jean-Paul Larçon met with Mr. Zibing Xu, Director of the Training Center of SASAC with the accompany of Mr. Frédéric Beraha, General Director of CCIParis Consulting and Ms Elodie Xu, Deputy Director of CCIParis Consulting. A national Party secretary and the dean from a famous school in China also attended the meeting.

Director Xu said, “As the no.1 business school in Europe, HEC Paris has set an excellent example to build dialogues, exchange and cooperation of different civilizations and cultures between China and France. The cooperation in the education field between China and France will benefit mutual understanding between the two peoples, promote common development of eastern and western cultures by learning from each other, and help maintain the diversity of the cultures in the world.”

In the evening, the Dean was invited by Mr. Ambassador of the French Embassy and gathered together with all HEC alumni at the ambassador’s residence. At the gathering, Mr. Dean shared news and future mission of HEC’s globalization with Mr. Ambassador and alumni.

On September 25th, Mr. Dean also paid a formal visit to Tsinghua University. Both sculpted with a long history, Tsinghua School of Economics and Management and HEC Paris embarked upon their strategic cooperation back to 1998. During the last decade, the two schools have been on a journey of broad and solid cooperation in executive education and have achieved deep impact. Dean Ramanantsoa stated, “We are very proud of the cooperation in the education field between France and China. The blending of two different cultures, values and practices enables us to better understand each other, also help us make better decision on economic and social issues.”

The visit of Dean Ramanantsoa, a representative from HEC Paris has not only enhanced the exchange in the field of higher education between China and France, but has also promoted a friendly cooperation in management education in both sides. The visit has been more than anything but an extension and reinforcement of the friendship between the two countries as well as another success of the strategic expansion of the cooperation of the two sides.

Both sides are looking forward to deeper and more long-term cooperation in various aspects.