Following a ridiculously early start, I arrived in Paris on a Saturday morning to an unexpectedly bright sky, not unlike that which I am used to in the city where I live, Madrid. I was there to take part in the QS World Grad School Tour in the Hotel Concord Lafayette, along with various other top Business Schools. Despite a generally low attendance at the fair, due to a conflict of dates with another large Education fair on the same day, I met some extremely bright and keen potential students who were interested on studying at IE.
This year I have seen a significant increase in interest from France, which has always been a complicated market in which to compete for the very best students. According to our French Alumni, IE becoming the Top European Business School in the Financial Times ranking had an extreme impact on the French Press. Likewise the Financial Times Ranking for the Masters in Management (6th in the world) and Masters in Finance (2nd in the world) have made potential students question, if they should consider moving abroad to study.
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Making the most of my Parisian stay, on the Sunday I was fortunate enough to be accompanied by International friends living in Paris itself, visiting San Germaine, and the Parc du Luxemburg. The next day I flew to Toulouse to attend the same fair, in the very heart of this city, the centre of the European aerospace industry. Again I was pleasantly surprised by a very warm reception by the French weather, more appropriate for spring than for winter. Following the fair, I met various French and International potential students for informal interviews who were keen to find out more about IE.
Luckily or unluckily enough, due to ongoing airlines strikes, I was forced to stay an extra day in Toulouse city and was for once, able to see a bit more of the city, the River Garonne and the picturesque centre.
Kim Goddard
About the author
Kim is currently part of the European team in the International Development department at IE. Following her legal studies in London, she became the Director of various art galleries in both the UK and Spain, organizing international exhibitions in Asia, Europe and the US and editing various publications on Film and the Arts, and then went on to work as a legal assistant and translator at an International law firm based in Madrid.