“Don’t push yourself down, just push the boundaries”. Here is Prof. Soumyadeb Chowdhury’s (Prof. Soum, to his students) piece of advice to prospective students. Head of the TBS Education Center of Excellence on Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility, he is a multiple-time and student-favourite lecturer of TBS Education Summer School.

A former international student and expat himself – having studied in India, England, Scotland and, now working in France – Prof. Chowdhury believes “students should open themselves to the world of possibilities and opportunities beyond their comfort zone […] The TBS Education Summer School provides students with all these opportunities to go beyond traditional classroom experiences and explore the world of possibilities.” The balance between academics, corporate experience as well as social and cultural visits is a key element in the program that allow students to upskill themselves on a personal and professional front.

Prof. Soum’s class, AI driven Sustainable Business Operation, covered how the interplay between AI and emerging technology trends, such as Blockchain or Metaverse, helps achieve Sustainability Development Goals from both business and society perspective. In each session, students greatly appreciated his class. How does Prof Soum’s course remain a fan-favourite? To quote him: “Teaching is an art which requires creative act. Just like an artist, I as a teacher aim to select tools, methods, and interventions for creating facilitating conditions where students can learn and engage most effectively.” Two other important aspects of his teaching are taking into account students’ interest and needs in deciding some sessions content and, practice research informed teaching – “drawing from latest research and industry practitioners’ findings to provide students with a comprehensive and holistic understanding bridging the gap between theory and practice.”

Thank you to those students who dared to “Learn, Unlearn and Relearn” through this unique opportunity that is the TBS Education Summer School, where engaging in conversations and discussion with students [and professors] from different countries, cultural background, perspective and generation are just some of the highlights this program has to offer.  

TBS Education Summer School is not all about academics! Getting up close and personal with companies and business professionals in various industries are an essential element to the TBS Education Summer School experience. This year, participants of the Summer School got the chance to visit the world’s largest airliner manufacturer, Airbus, and check out the final assembly line while learning about this iconic French company that has dominated the skies for decades.

Next on the list was a comprehensive visit of IoT Valley. Here, students learned about the flourishing ecosystem created for and by seasoned entrepreneurs and budding start-ups. Students got the chance to meet start-uppers and get first-hand account of their experience and learn about what it takes to turn promising ideas into profitable realities.
First up was Stéphane LOISEAU, TBS Education alumni & founder of Owley, a company providing turnkey solutions for clients to recover people (search and rescue missions) or track lost and stolen assets in any situation.
The second startupper students met with was Guillaume DUVEAU, CTO of Doorinsider, an online marketplace helping real estate agencies to implement 3D solutions and integrate the latest technologies to enhance customers’ experience.

In addition to company visits, students also had the opportunity to learn about other industries, through Expert Talks. Here, experts in various fields came to TBS Education to share and impart their industry knowledge and personal stories of how they were able to make it in their fields. Entrepreneurs, such as Jehan DE WOILLEMONT, eighth generation wine maker from Chateau de Marmorières, not only shared his know-how of the wine industry, but also provided tastings for students of some of his most prized bottles.
Additionally, our students were also treated to a visit to the Ernest Wallon Stadium of the iconic Stade Toulousain rugby team here in Toulouse. After the visit, students took part in an Expert Talk with Frédérique DELAGE, senior strategy and digital expert in the Sports and Entertainment industries who focused on international sports event management including the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris 2024.

TBS Education is grateful for its vast and inspiring network of companies that provide the opportunity for our students to experience real-world knowledge and insights into the business world; a cornerstone for our students’ professional and personal development.