The IMT-BS PGE, a springboard to international opportunities
The Grande École Program (PGE) at IMT-BS offers many opportunities, including double degrees and international exchanges. This program allows students to earn not only their IMT-BS degree, but also a degree from a partner university (in France, but also in South Korea, Canada, Morocco, the United Kingdom, etc.).
A 2022 PGE graduate, Zoé Lopez-Hurel perfectly embodies this international outlook and the flexibility of the curriculum offered by IMT-BS.
Gaining international experience during the PGE
Zoé took full advantage of the opportunities offered by IMT-BS. She joined the PGE through a transfer exam, allowing her to start the PGE in her second year. Upon her arrival, she became fully involved in the school’s student life by becoming communications manager for the Student Union (BDE), a formative experience on both a personal and organizational level.
In the second semester, Zoé seized the opportunity to take part in her first university exchange program in Peru. The health situation, which still required classes to be taught remotely, became a unique opportunity: while attending her classes via videoconference, she traveled throughout South America and discovered new cultures, developing her independence, adaptability, and open-mindedness.
Between the second and third years of the PGE, Zoé chose to take a gap year. With the support of IMT-BS, she traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia, for another university exchange. She then continued her academic career with a double degree at KAIST University in Daejeon, South Korea. This is the second-best university in the country and the 56th-best university in the world in 2024 according to the QS World University Rankings.
Zoé’s example shows that it is possible to do several exchanges during a single course of study, and the alumna emphasized that there are “many more exchange options than you think .” Indeed, the IMT-BS network comprises no fewer than 130 universities around the world, and there is no limit to the number of exchanges possible during a single degree program!
Beyond the degree: a personal and professional commitment
After graduating, Zoé decided to take her commitment even further. She did community service on a 2 km² island in the Philippines, where she was involved in both the social life of the island (educational missions) and ecological missions (scuba diving, waste collection, etc.).
These numerous experiences allowed her to develop key skills (sense of responsibility, project management, adaptability, etc.) while affirming her interest in environmental and societal issues.
Today, Zoé is well on her way to becoming a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) manager, a job that suits both her values and her training, within the LVMH group. She is currently an intern at Dior!
IMT-BS, a framework for revealing unique career paths
In total, Zoé spent only one semester on the IMT-BS campus in Évry. The rest of her curriculum was built around international mobility and her personal commitments. Her career path is a fine example of the principles of IMT-BS: offering students a solid academic framework while giving them the freedom to build a career path that suits them.
Thanks to the flexibility of its program, the richness of its international network, and the support offered throughout the curriculum, IMT-BS trains open-minded, committed individuals who are ready to evolve in a globalized and constantly changing world.