The IPAG Experience: Student Life in France

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A Grande École curriculum allows to connect and build relationships with fellow students. It includes unique experiences, which are a good way to create and develop a strong team spirit.

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The F.I.V.E. (GAMSY): Go ahead and Make Your School a Part of You

This event is held on the occasion of the start of the school year, each September, and brings all 1st year students together, to allow them to discover the school, its environment and its values. Greeted by your teaching staff and 2nd year students, you will take your first steps at IPAG in a friendly and exciting atmosphere.

Concretely, after a day dedicated to a presentation of the school and a campus tour, you start working in groups, under the watchful eye of your professors, during a 3-day business game. This is a way to get to know your classmates and tackle your first challenges together.

Welcome Weekend

Just a few weeks after the school year starts, you will go away for an experience that cannot be missed - your welcome weekend. For three days, you will participate in sporting and fun activities: pool party, foam party, blind test, volleyball, archery, softball... Organised by the Student Council, each year in a different location (Bassin d'Arcachon, Var, Ardèche...), this weekend is a wonderful opportunity to have fun, live unforgettable moments and to forge lasting relationships with your classmates who, like you, have just joined the IPAG.

Those unique experiences aim to forge a spirit of unity among students.

Louise, 20 years old

A week on the ski slopes

The Sport Club organises each year at the end of February or at the beginning of March, a one-week stay in the French Alps (Alpe d'Huez, Risoul, Megève...). It is the occasion for all students to come together for skiing, snowboarding and partying with their classmates.

The end-of-year gala

The graduation ceremony truly is the climax of your student life, when you get to celebrate the end of your studies, alongside your classmates, teachers, friends and family. You will be invited on the stage to receive your diplomas, to celebrate the best performing students of your graduating class, as well as the best theses, before the festivities begin.

Face the challenges presented by companies

Since our teaching is built on experiential learning and in order for you to be fully operational at the end of your studies, your curriculum at IPAG is marked with numerous Business Games. They allow you to put your knowledge, know-how and interpersonal skills into practice in a fun way and in real-life conditions.

Nice Business Challenge

The purpose of this Business Game is to organise a tradeshow to promote and market a partner company's product. This week-long challenge is a good way to develop your team spirit while working on a hands-on project.

#Negoc’IPAG

During the annual #Negoc'IPAG contest, four to six companies submit a business negotiation case to our 5th year students in the Grande École Programme. After a preparation phase that lasts 2.5 hours, the students begin the negotiation in front of a jury of seasoned professionals. For the companies involved (CBRE, Altran, IZI by EDF...), this event is an opportunity to take a fresh look at their issues and to identify future graduates with high potential. On your side, it's a chance to test your persuasive abilities in front of professional business people.

Agorize Challenge

Besides the challenges taking place at IPAG, our students also compete in Business Games outside the school, such as Agorize, against teams from other schools. In October 2019, IPAG students won the Sustainable Beauty Challenge, led by Cosmetic Valley in partnership with the LVMH group. After an intense hackathon involving 900 participants, the IPAG project seduced the LVMH group, which is now continuing its collaboration with the winners. These events are all opportunities to showcase your talents to recruiters.

Explore new horizons...

Within the framework of so-called Culture and Discovery path, the IPAG allows you to learn about disciplines other than management and to develop your creativity.

Presentation

Each year, the school offers about twenty Culture and Discovery path in domains as diverse as art, psychology, history or the media. These less academic courses are often set up in partnership with renowned establishments such as the École de Condé for graphic arts, ESMOD for fashion design, the Gustave Moreau Museum for art history or the Ritz Hotel for gastronomy.

These Culture and Discovery path contribute to your personal development while developing your critical spirit and creativity.

A few examples of courses...

Architecture and contemporary design
Information Warfare
Cinema history
An Introduction to Major Religious Traditions
An Introduction to Psychology and Psychoanalysis
Backstage of the French touch
The underside of the media
Mythology and superheroes
Health, Geography and Economics

Get out of your confort zone...

The X'treme trails of the Grande École Programme are an invitation to going beyond your limits, through unprecedented real-life situations.

Presentation

Solidarity and going beyond limits are both fundamental values of management as well as the life of any company. Since we believe that these values, at IPAG, have to be taught to our students, we made sure to include some of these experiences from the very beginning of the Programme Grande École. During a week, you are encouraged to dive into an unknown environment for a survival course in the mountain or a cybersecurity simulation, for instance. Confronted to complex conditions, you have to adapt quickly and take on unexpected responsibilities.

A few examples of X'treme experiences...

Extreme cold survival in the Alps
Wildlife observation in the Mercantour National Park
Horse riding in the Périgord
Sailing in Le Finistère
Trapper survival in the Jura
Fencing
Diving Survival in Brittany
Rafting in the Camargue
Shore survival in Normandy
Wellness and meditation in nature