Management des entreprises sociales et Transition


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Objectives


In a society where social and environmental issues are increasingly complex and interconnected, businesses are called upon to play a major role in the transition of the economic system towards greater sustainability, alongside public authorities and civil society. Some companies are already committed to this path: they are called sustainable companies, impact companies, or social companies. The latter are proving to be an interesting laboratory and a source of inspiration for all companies wishing to evolve towards sustainable business models because they explicitly combine an economic activity with the pursuit of a social mission. However, this combination makes the creation and management of these companies more complex. Therefore, training talents with the necessary managerial skills to create and manage these new kinds of companies and to accompany and transform all companies towards sustainable business models is a crucial issue.  

In this specialization, you will develop advanced skills in the various areas of management (strategy, financial management, project management, reporting, etc.) revisited in relation to the major social and environmental issues. You will learn how to use these skills in projects with high social and environmental added value. And you will make sure to integrate questions of meaning and ethics into your thinking and practices.  

What our alumni say about it

During this master's degree, I was able to discover the multiple facets of the social economy. The meetings with social entrepreneurs, the concrete case studies and the field trip abroad bring a real plus to the program. This master's degree really helped me to know which type of organization I wanted to turn to for my professional career. At the end of my studies, I was convinced that I wanted to work in an organization related to the social economy.

Justine Genten, Chargée de projets en création d'entreprises, Créa-job, Alumni 2017 
 

The + of the specialization 


  • In close proximity with partner social and sustainable enterprises and their ecosystems (investors, advisors, federations).
  • Bringing together the expertise and experience of a multidisciplinary team of teachers and researchers.
  • Led by the Centre d'Economie Sociale of HEC Liège (www.ces.uliege.be), a research and teaching center that has been conducting its projects and work for 30 years from the perspective of analysis and accreditation of the specific roles and growing importance of social enterprises. Today, the vision of the CES is firmly anchored in a perspective of transition of the economic system, towards models that are both socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
  • At the heart of an international community of researchers and experts thanks to the EMES Network (International Research Network on Social Enterprises) of which the Centre d'Economie Sociale of HEC Liège is one of the founding pillars.

iconeInfoGood to know!

HEC Liège was a pioneer in launching this program in 2010 and remains to this day the only business school in Belgium to offer such a specialization!

Skills acquired at the end of the specialization  


  • Managerial knowledge and skills: discovering the managerial approaches used in social and sustainable enterprises; mastering the tools for integrating ethical, social and environmental concerns, or developing social and sustainable entrepreneurship projects; developing professional, efficient and appropriate management of social and sustainable enterprises and enterprise transition projects ;
  • Analytical skills: understanding the different business models of (social and sustainable) enterprises, their roles and characteristics; analyzing and anticipating the challenges faced by social and sustainable enterprises in a complex and rapidly changing environment; knowing the ecosystem in which they operate ;
  • A socio-professional network: meet the main actors in the field of social and sustainable entrepreneurship in Belgium and internationally; benefit from their expertise; collaborate with these actors in the framework of various missions 

Professional openings 


Many opportunities are available to you...

  • in the creation of companies with a major social or environmental impact, or in the management of social or environmental responsibility projects within various companies;
  • in strengthening the managerial skills of social and sustainable enterprises or enterprises in transition towards sustainability, in various fields of activity, for example:
    • circular economy and territorial development (recycling, green energy production and distribution, agri-food industry, etc.)
    • finance and banking (socially responsible investment, impact investing, solidarity finance, local currencies, etc.)
    • support for integration into the labor market (integration companies, adapted work companies, business incubators, employment and activity cooperatives, etc.) 
    • social services and health care (hospitals, mutual insurance companies, early childhood, services for the elderly or disabled, etc.)
    • culture (cultural production and dissemination, support for artists, etc.)
    • North-South relations (fair trade, ethical supply chains, microfinance, development NGOs, etc.);
  • developing expertise in social entrepreneurship and in managing sustainability and social responsibility:
  • organizations and institutions that interact with social and sustainable enterprises (banks and investors, public administrations, etc.)
  • consulting firms developing services for social and sustainable enterprises, or specifically focused on supporting these enterprises boards of directors of social and sustainable enterprises. 

What our alumni say about it

As an Investment Manager, my main role is to develop and manage a portfolio of companies in which W.Alter, a public company at the service of entrepreneurs who want to invest in a sustainable and human-centered economy, intervenes in the form of equity investments or loans. In addition to financial support, we challenge and network project leaders. 

Maxime BOUCHAT, Investment Manager, W.ALTER by SRIW, Alumni 2014


Contact
Finality Pilot

Sybille Mertens de Wilmars2

Sybille MERTENS DE WILMARS

Full Professor - Management


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