Thanks to a total revenue figure of €109 million for the 2017-2018 academic year – a 5% increase over the previous year – ESADE has been able to strengthen its commitment to innovation, experimentation, the technological revolution, and the development of new programmes aligned with today’s increasingly globalised world.

In the institution’s recently published 2017-2018 Annual Report, incoming Director General Koldo Echebarria highlighted ESADE’s social commitment, values, and dedication to constant educational evolution. “More than ever before, we need institutions that look at the world with a critical spirit and are capable of generating social impact and transforming their communities in a positive way,” he commented. “ESADE is, and must remain, an international community of students, faculty, alumni, executives, entrepreneurs, companies and institutions that not only generate knowledge, progress and wealth but are also truly committed to addressing today’s global challenges.”

60 years at the vanguard of education

ESADE’s 60th anniversary comes at a time when the institution enjoys a consolidated position near the top of key international rankings. The school is marking the milestone with various initiatives designed to encourage reflection on education and the teaching methodologies of the future. On the financial front, the institution has generated a €10 million cash flow that will support key investments to maintain the school’s international competitiveness.

In the arena of institutional commitment, ESADE was recognised by the latest Financial Times ranking as the European business school that offers the most opportunities to future female executives through its MBA. It is also the only business school affiliated with the #DóndeEstánEllas protocol, a European Parliament initiative designed to promote gender equality at public events. Since joining the platform last year, the percentage of women headlining ESADE events has increased to 50.4%.

A 2,100 m2 investment in innovation

In 2018, the Rambla of Innovation was officially opened on ESADE’s Sant Cugat campus. This 2,100 m2 ecosystem, made up of five experimentation and learning laboratories, reflects ESADE’s commitment to investing economic resources to promote innovation. Every day, this new space hosts various entrepreneurial initiatives and innovation processes. The Rambla of Innovation was awarded first place in the “University Innovation” category of the CLADEA Awards, organised by the Latin American Council of Management Schools.

Digitalisation, new professions and internationalisation

Digitalisation and an international outlook are transversal priorities that cut across ESADE’s various academic units. The school recently launched various courses that are taught entirely online: Stock Market; Influence Management; Marketing Intelligence & Consumer Insights; and Financial Innovation: Fintech and Blockchain. The 2017-2018 academic year also saw the introduction of the MSc in Business Analytics, which combines technical knowledge with a business vision and prepares students to meet the new needs of the many companies currently interested in recruiting data scientists, machine-learning experts and big-data managers. Students from 16 different countries enrolled in the first edition of the programme.

On the international scene, ESADE has designed a new global MBA for Executives. The programme, developed in cooperation with Aalto University, is designed for managers interested in relations between Asia and Europe and business opportunities spanning the two continents. It is the only programme in this speciality anywhere in the world. ESADE has also signed an agreement with Jiao Tong University in Shanghai to create a double degree that will allow Master of Science (MSc) students to obtain an MSc in Management from ESADE Business School and an MSc in International Business from Jiao Tong. Josep Franch, Dean of ESADE Business School, highlighted the “unique model of educational experience at ESADE Business & Law School, which is innovative and transformative in the university sector as well as in executive education”.

In keeping with this internationalisation strategy, ESADE plans to offer a new official degree in Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order starting in the 2019-2020 academic year. The new programme will be taught in English and will develop the international talent of future economists and diplomats.

Commitment to talent

During the 2017-2018 academic year, ESADE received a total of €3.2 million in corporate and individual donations. These contributions enabled ESADE to award 250 scholarships, invest in research, promote the activity of the institution’s research centres and continue to grow the school’s endowment, the ESADE Foundation Fund.