Recognizing excellence in research and pedagogy is a major strategic priority for the reputation and quality of a top-tier business school. Each year, the Foundation presents awards to support the research, excellence, and innovative teaching methods of the ESSEC faculty.
Research Prize : for a faculty member's research article published in top-tier academic journals, distinguished by academic rigor and significant implications for management practice.
Roman Pavlyuchenko for his thesis “Three Essays on Materiality” and Delphine Dion, Thesis Supervisor.
Young researcher grant : to encourage bold and original work, helping early-career researchers turn their ideas into major research contributions.
Discover the 13 winners of the 2026 Foundation awards
Award for pedagogical excellence : recognizing a professor’s teaching quality and outstanding contribution to the student experience.
- Permanent faculty category : Laurent Bibard (E85)
- Lecturer category : Youssef Yakoubi
- Jury’s special prize: Ayse Onculer
Daniel Tixier Award for Education : highlighting innovative and original teaching approaches that foster engaged and relevant learning.
Sam Garg for his innovative tool: “Virtual Reality (VR)-based teaching.”
Research Prize : for a faculty member's research article published in top-tier academic journals, distinguished by academic rigor and significant implications for management practice.
David Sluss et Karoline Strauss for “Complementarity in Future Selves.”
- Jury’s special prize : Anne-Claire Pache (E94) for “An Integrative Model of Hybrid Governance: The Role of Boards in Helping Sustain Organizational Hybridity.”
Science and society : to encourage researcher initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between academic knowledge and society at large.
Marie-Léandre Gomez (E93) for her project: “Preparing for crises and increasing resiliency for society, organizations, and people.”
Case study award : rewarding professors who connect theory to real-world practice, stimulating critical thinking in students.
Harris Kyriakou for his case study: “ChatGPT vs Google and the Future of Search.”
PhD thesis prize: rewarding a thesis supervisor-doctoral student duo for exemplary collaboration resulting in a high-quality defense and joint publications.
Roman Pavlyuchenko for his thesis “Three Essays on Materiality” and Delphine Dion, Thesis Supervisor.
Young researcher grant : to encourage bold and original work, helping early-career researchers turn their ideas into major research contributions.
Charles Ayoubi (E13), Paul Gouvard and Alentina Vardanyan for their project: “Made in AI? How Generative AI Creates Oversuspicion over AI-Generated Content.”
Celebrating the new pedagogical case study award
Launched by the ESSEC Foundation in 2026, this award values the publication of original cases used in top international universities such as Harvard, LBS, or INSEAD.
Discover an article regarding this new prize on the ESSEC website dedicated to pedagogical innovation.
“The case study rewarded by the ESSEC Foundation involved students in a topic at the forefront of AI research. This new prize rewards pedagogical excellence and innovation. Personally, it encourages me to keep investing in innovative teaching materials for both the current and next generation of leaders.”
Harris Kyriakou, Associate Professor, Information Systems, Decision Sciences and Statistics Department – First winner of the pedagogical case study award.
Discover an article regarding this new prize on the ESSEC website dedicated to pedagogical innovation.
Launch of the young researcher grant
The goal of the ESSEC Foundation’s young researcher grant is to encourage bold and original work, helping early-career researchers turn their ideas into major contributions to the field. This €14,000 grant is dedicated to research projects in their initial stages.
Social Scholarships: a stepping stone for student support
ESSEC Foundation support for Need-based scholarship students is highlighted with the presentation of a symbolic check during the evening. This year, the Foundation supported 447 students (bringing the total to over 3,000 since 2011). In 2025, the ESSEC Foundation dedicated over €1.6 million to social scholarships to support an ever-growing number of talented students.
"The ESSEC social scholarship acted as a true catalyst for my journey. By removing financial barriers and the anxiety of debt, it serves as a powerful vote of confidence, recognizing my hard work and merit."
Larissa Patrick, Need-based scholarship recipient
The Captain Chomel de Jarnieu prize
For the past five years, the Foundation has also presented the Captain Chomel de Jarnieu prize, which recognizes projects led by student associations working for the common good. In a first for the award’s history, two associations were honored this year for their exemplary commitment, receiving €1,250 each :
- The ESSEC Symphony Orchestra (led by the Bureau des Arts), which blends musical passion with cultural outreach.
- Rotacourse (led by Rotaract), a project that embodies the spirit of mutual aid.
Discover the winners of the responsible entrepreneurship grant
Created in partnership with the ESSEC Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, this program covers the living expenses of the winning student entrepreneurs. In addition to financial support, winners receive guidance from the ESSEC Ventures incubator.
The ESSEC Foundation extends its warmest thanks to our donors !
Your generous support is instrumental in giving ESSEC the resources to achieve its ambitions by investing in academic excellence and equal opportunity.
Ambition category, for students receiving social scholarships
- Kiyan Zanitch-Khan for Krancos: an AI-powered pre-diagnostic tool for skin cancer via autonomous dermatological booths in pharmacies.
- Nolan Cuenca for Hometrack: an app that repurposes underutilized housing to provide sustainable lodging for vulnerable households.
Sustainability category, for projects with a positive environmental or societal impact.
- Clémence Guyoux for CAP'siRNA: a solution allowing farmers to protect crops against viral diseases.
- Nicolas Beauvalet & Zoé Prouvost (Co-founders) for Maison Sylvette: nutritional solutions tailored for people living with illnesses.
O feminin category, encouraging women in entrepreneurship
- Marianne Chapados for Boxfem: a student storage solution in the Paris region using reusable boxes.
- Priscille Graff for La Lunchbox by BLONDS: a project aimed at rebuilding social ties through sustainable and communal meals.
“Receiving this grant is a valuable recognition from the ESSEC ecosystem, whose values of innovation and responsibility guide my approach. With Krancos, we are using AI to transform dermatological screening and monitoring, working toward a preventive medicine that is accessible and human-centered.”
Kiyan Zanitch-Khah, 2026 Ambition Grant Recipient
The ESSEC Foundation extends its warmest thanks to our donors !
Your generous support is instrumental in giving ESSEC the resources to achieve its ambitions by investing in academic excellence and equal opportunity.
