A committed and responsible school

Starting in 2016, the Pôle Léonard de Vinci and its schools, including EMLV, have incorporated the principles of “Sustainable Development” and “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),” now broadly referred to as the challenges of the “Environmental and Societal Transition.”

Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility at EMLV

The Pôle Léonard de Vinci and its schools’ sustainable development and CSR strategy is built upon four main principles:

1. Emphasising hybridisation and interdisciplinarity in addressing sustainable development and CSR issues across the Pôle Léonard de Vinci.
2. A systemic approach, involving all stakeholders and activities at the Pôle Léonard de Vinci, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
3. A specific focus on the environmental and societal impact of technology and digital advancements by the Pôle Léonard de Vinci.
4. Promoting individual and collective responsibility, encouraging all students and staff at the Pôle Léonard de Vinci to become active agents of change.

Cross-disciplinary Educational Hackathons

In 2016, the Soft Skills Department launched the first cross-disciplinary educational hackathons. These events gather all students from the three schools within a cohort to address a general interest theme.

By 2023, 25 cross-disciplinary hackathons had already taken place. Most of these hackathons focus on the challenges of environmental and societal transition. Some themes are revisited in multiple hackathons, while others introduce new topics.

Through participating in hackathons, students develop soft skills such as teamwork, creativity, rapid learning, and critical thinking. They also deepen their understanding of sustainable development, CSR, and ethics through research and peer-to-peer exchanges. As agents of change, students propose innovative solutions and take action for the common good.

Examples of Hackathons:

• “Digital Communication and Gamification for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace” (2021-2022, A1 students)
• “Sustainable Food (Climate, Biodiversity, and Human Issues)” (2022-2023, A1 students)
• “Protecting Biodiversity in France: Engaging Local Actors” (2022-2023, A2 students)
• “Technology, Sustainability, and Positive Impact” (2022-2023, A4 students)

See all the cross-disciplinary hackathon videos

Sustainable Development Goals

From 2023 onwards, the Pôle Léonard de Vinci has chosen to focus its commitments and actions on six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which it identifies as priorities based on its specificities and strategy:

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action

Ecological Mindset and Positive Impact

This is a mandatory programme for all EMLV students, which includes:

• Climate and biodiversity workshops for all new entrants.
• A solidarity mission to be completed in the second year of the Master in Management programme: between January and May, future managers must dedicate one day per week to involvement in an association within the social and solidarity economy sector.
• Over 400 hours of dedicated courses, covering topics such as climate transition, CSR and ethics, diversity and inclusion management, and responsible business.
• A compulsory MOOC in the fourth year: understanding the ecological crisis and reimagining the role of business.

The EMLV is also a member of:

An Engaged Student Life Focused on SD/CSR

In addition to having student associations dedicated to these issues, such as ADA (Aider Donner Agir) and DevDu, each student association is equipped with a Sustainable Development and CSR representative. These representatives receive training from the Soft Skills & Sustainable Development Department.

A “Green Mobility” study was also conducted by the Junior Enterprise, Devinci Junior, on the carbon impact of international student mobility at the Pôle Léonard de Vinci, with the aim of identifying actionable solutions.

The SD/CSR representatives of the associations work to identify the SDGs that their activities contribute to, and they are preparing visual creations, featuring the SDGs, which will be displayed in the student common room.