HEC Imagine Fellows program (HEC, France)
Launched in 2022 at HEC Paris, the HEC Imagine Fellows program was created to connect business education with peacebuilding and to support students from conflict-affected countries. The program was made possible by a founding donation from entrepreneur Adrien Nussenbaum (HEC alumnus and co-founder of Mirakl), announced in October 2021, with the purpose of establishing scholarships for talented students whose education has been disrupted by war and instability. Its goals are to expand access to graduate education, build intercultural dialogue on campus, and equip Fellows and peers to advance responsible leadership for peace, reconstruction, and civic engagement.
“Participating in the Paris Peace Forum shows that young leaders can play a crucial role in redefining how we think about peace, resilience, and cooperation,”
— Nikol, Ukrainian HEC Imagine Fellow, and André
The HEC Imagine Fellows programme aims to advance peace and intercultural dialogue through multisectoral collaboration, integrating education, research, and community engagement. The programme fosters sustainable educational and research initiatives to prepare future business leaders as impactful actors for peace. Its mission is anchored on four fundamental pillars:
- Empowering Talents from Conflict Zones: Providing comprehensive scholarships for students from war-torn countries ensuring access to world-class education regardless of geopolitical barriers.
- Business and Peace Curriculum: Integrating cutting-edge academic content that explores the role of business in conflict resolution and economic stabilization.
- Community Engagement & Events: Organizing student-led high-impact events and forums to foster intercultural understanding, mutual respect, and the improvement of social cohesion in an environment where students from 135 different countries live side by side. These initiatives are driven by the student club “HEC Imagine Fellows”, which brings together both Fellows and non-scholarship HEC students dedicated to peace and civic engagement.
- Entrepreneurial Openness: Opening HEC Paris’s entrepreneurial training and acceleration programmes to refugee entrepreneurs currently residing in France, empowering them to rebuild and scale their ventures.
Through these efforts, the programme strives to create a lasting impact on global stability, fostering a new generation of leaders dedicated to a more inclusive and peaceful world.
“If your intention is to bring peace, I urge you: let’s change the narrative that Sudan is not the forgotten war anymore. Let’s talk about Sudan, because sometimes talking implies political pressure on those persecuting others. So please, talk about Sudan, and hold your governments accountable.”
— Mayada, HEC Imagine Fellow, Paris Peace Forum 2025.
To date, the program has supported 20 Fellows from several conflict-affected countries (including Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Belarus, and Ukraine) to access graduate education at HEC Paris, strengthened campus integration and peer-to-peer solidarity, and enabled student-led engagement through 15+ peace-focused events. Fellows and students have organized events reaching hundreds of participants and have represented the initiative on major platforms such as the Paris Peace Forum, ChangeNOW, and sessions hosted at UNESCO. Fellows have also shared their perspectives at high-level venues, including the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contributing to discussions on business, human rights, and conflict. The program has supported tangible initiatives, including raising €1,500 for earthquake relief in Afghanistan and awarding 14 Business & Peace ambassador certificates (March 2024, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs).
“From the moment I arrived in Paris, full of doubt but holding on to a dream, to standing here today with new skills, confidence, and a growing vision for #DorAfghanistan — every step was worth it. This journey wasn’t just about building my startup. It was about reclaiming a voice, a future, and creating space for other Afghan women to do the same. Because while we are banned, we are not broken. We are still learning, resisting, and rising.”
— Sumaia, Entrepreneur, articipant of the HEC Launchpad program, 2025
