From April 6 to 9, 2025, for its first edition in France, EDC Paris welcomed Babson Summit members from around the world, educators who came to share best pedagogical practices and advance leadership in the world of entrepreneurial education.
What is Babson Collaborative Global Summit?
The annual global summit (launched by Babson College, Massachusetts) brings together entrepreneurship educators from around the world to exchange pedagogical best practices and advance student leadership.
It offers professional development and networking opportunities, as well as insight into local ecosystems. Participants exchange advice and discuss innovative teaching methods and strategic partnerships to inspire significant change in entrepreneurship education.
The summit brings together members from 44 schools and universities around the world, including 3 French schools, including EDC.
Summit proceedings at EDC Paris
Day 1
The first day was devoted to discovering Paris and its historic charm. Three tour options were offered to participants:
- Charme de Paris: a guided tour of the emblematic Marais district, and sites such as Place des Vosges and the Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church. The group could also take time to enjoy the lively Marché des Enfants Rouges, offering food, drink and shopping, before exploring
- Old and historic Paris: Latin Quarter, Sorbonne University, Notre Dame and Hôtel de Sévigné
- Montmartre and its artists: with the famous Butte and Sacré-Coeur.
Day 2
On arrival in Puteaux, participants had the opportunity to explore the school's campus before attending the opening session hosted by Benoit Aubert (Managing Director France, Planeta Formación y Universidades) and Amir Reza (Ph.D, Senior Leader in International Higher Education).
The morning was marked by two main activities: a “Give & Gets Networking” session, and an educational simulation game based on the Business Model Canvas, the Venture Catalyst Simulation Game.
The day ended with the “Bar-o-Build Challenge”, an exercise in pedagogical innovation.
Day 3
Day two got off to a great start, with the official launch of the book “Developing Entrepreneurial Mindsets, Ideas, and Opportunities” written by :
- Heidi Neck, Professor of Entrepreneurship & the Jeffry A. Timmons Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Babson College.
- Christina Theodoraki, PhD, HDR Professor Entrepreneurship & Strategy,
- And Bethlem Boronat Clavijo, Associate Professor at EAE Business School in Madrid.
In the afternoon, the EDC incubator (EDCube) presented its missions and support.
Two incubatees, Thomas Norval (KARUKERA Tradisyon) and Hermine Moulin-Comte (Atelier HMC), shared their experiences, the challenges they faced and the support provided by the incubator throughout their entrepreneurial adventure.
Finally, the participants were honored with an awards ceremony, rewarding their contributions on various key themes addressed during the summit.
Day 4
EDC has signed a new partnership with the Almaty Management University (AlmaU), enriching its international network and offering students new academic and cultural perspectives.
Founded in 1988, AlmaU is one of Kazakhstan's leading business schools. It offers programs in Kazakh, Russian and English, covering more than 20 specialties such as management, finance, marketing, hospitality, international relations, IT, digital cinema and creative industries management.
The second highlight of the day was the signing of a strategic partnership between Babson College EDC (represented by Amir Reza, Ph.D. Rezza, Dean) and EDC Paris Business School!
Our students will now have the unique opportunity to follow specialized entrepreneurship programs on the Wellesley campus (Massachusetts, USA).
Babson College, the world's No. 1 institution for entrepreneurial education, joins our network to offer an even more international and ambitious experience to our future entrepreneurs.
And finally, the other highlights of the day:
- A fascinating session on AI chatbots and their impact on entrepreneurship education.
- The Collaborative Awards, which celebrated the highlights and talents of this edition.
- And an immersive visit to Station F, the beating heart of Parisian innovation and entrepreneurship, followed by an inspiring closing dinner.