HEC Paris & Laidlaw Foundation Collaborate for MBA Gender Parity

HEC Paris and the HEC Foundation have joined forces with the Laidlaw Foundation in a breakthrough collaboration to address gender gaps in MBA enrollment. HEC Paris hopes to imitate the success of Oxford Sad Business School, which obtained an unprecedented 51% female enrollment for 2024, with the help of a €1.9 million contribution from the Laidlaw Foundation over the next three years.

Sara Vanos, HEC Paris' Executive Director of Marketing and Admissions for MBA programs, stressed the common objective of empowering women who may not otherwise consider earning an MBA. The Laidlaw Foundation's dedication goes beyond financial assistance, with an emphasis on identifying exceptional women who may not consider themselves ready or eligible for an MBA.

Laidlaw's prior experience at Oxford Sad Business School, where gender parity was credited to the foundation's participation, demonstrates the potential benefit of this relationship. The program offers ten full-tuition scholarships every year, as well as extensive mentorship and a dedication to assisting women throughout their professional careers.

Following cooperation with London Business School, HEC Paris becomes the third prominent European business school to provide Laidlaw scholarships. While gender equality is not a stated goal, HEC Paris strives to make the MBA available to a wide range of applicants, particularly those from underdeveloped markets across the world.

The Laidlaw Scholars program is consistent with HEC Paris' greater commitment to gender equality, as demonstrated by initiatives like the Women in Leadership Club and HEC Paris Excellence scholarships. HEC Paris wants to recruit great women who will not only achieve in their studies but also contribute to constructive change in the world by focusing on impact and social purpose. The Laidlaw Scholars program's success will be judged not just by enrollment numbers, but also by the transformational influence these women make on their communities and beyond.