Established in 1819, ESCP Europe, the world’s first business school, was founded by a group of economic scholars and businessmen including the well-known economist Jean-Baptiste Say and the celebrated trader Vital Roux. Jean-Baptiste Say was an advocate of economic liberalism and is often credited with having coined the concept of entrepreneurship as early as 1800. Vital Roux is particularly known for having largely contributed to the elaboration of the Commercial Code in 1807 as well as for his up-front thinking in innovative pedagogy. One can, therefore, say that the creation of ESCP Europe represents the invention of the "business school" concept.

Key Facts

History

Although the ESCP Europe brand evolved over its almost 200 years of history, it always remained loyal to its first three letters. Starting in 1819 under the name École Spéciale de Commerce et d’Industrie and soon after renamed École Supérieure de Commerce, it developed to ESCP fifty years later in 1869. After merging with its sister school, the European School of Management (EAP), in 1999, the school was called ESCP-EAP for about a decade. Finally, in 2009, the school’s name turned into ESCP Europe, making explicit reference to its European heritage and positioning.

The international scope of ESCP Europe has been visible since its early age. Already the class of 1824 counted 30% of international students with 15 different nationalities, amongst them seven Spanish, five Brazilians, five Dutch, four Germans, and two Americans.

Language education was an essential part of its first curriculum which included, in addition to French grammar, also courses in English, German, and Spanish. As of 1825, a total of ten languages were taught at ESCP Europe and students had to study at least three of them.
Around one and a half centuries later, ESCP Europe was again a pioneer through the creation of a multi-campus business school. In order to respond to the School’s European calling, campuses in Germany and in the United Kingdom were opened in 1973, followed by Spain in 1988, Italy in 2004, and Warsaw in 2015. In the context of an ever more globalized world, the ambition of ESCP Europe today is to train truly European managers by fostering the link between humanistic values and management education. ESCP Europe becomes a veritable European School open to the World.

21st Century Highlights

• 2001: The Master in Management programme of ESCP Europe is validated by City University London which gives students the possibility to obtain a European MSc in Management.
• 2002: ESCP Europe is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which makes it one of the first business schools with Triple Crown accreditation: AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA.
• 2004: A fifth campus in Torino, Italy is founded. Master in Management students can obtain the Italian degree Laurea Magistrale, validated by the University of Torino.
• 2005: The School inaugurates its London campus after moving from Oxford. ESCP Europe now has urban campuses in five major European cities: Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid and Torino.
• 2007: The Master in Management programme is recognized by the Carlos III University of Madrid and students can obtain the Spanish degree of Master Europeo en Administración y Dirección de Empresas. ESCP Europe is able to award a national degree in each of its five countries of implantation.
• 2015: The School establishes its sixth European campus via a strategic alliance with the Warsaw-based Kozminski University, the only business school in Central and Eastern Europe with triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA).
• 2016: The Paris Campus extends to Montparnasse district (Paris left bank), to develop Executive Education activities and support the school's development and growth.
• 2018: ESCP Europe Business school becomes autonomous from the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry Paris Île-de-France, which is now the school’s majority shareholder.

Mission

“ESCP Europe’s mission is to inspire and educate tomorrow’s business leaders.”

Our conviction is that tomorrow’s business leaders will need to be international, digital, and inter-culturally effective. Our approach to education and organisational structure reflects this, with strong international programmes delivered by an integrated (pan-European) Faculty across campuses in each of Europe’s principal markets.

We advance this mission through our unique approach to international management education and research, which promotes transnational experience, collaboration and learning within a pan-European framework.

In 2015, the School formalised a unique approach and perspective under the C4B acronym: Cultures for (4) Business. This continues to guide our work and is now embedded into a new Strategic Plan for the period 2018-2022.

Our Vision

(What and where we want to be by 2022)