Robert Castel (left) & Louis Schweitzer

France’s Enterprise Institute and six management and engineering schools - Audencia, Ecole Centrale Paris, ESSEC, HEI, INSA de Lyon and INSEEC – inaugurate a series of conferences under the name ‘Making Sense of Management’.

The first debate, between Louis Schweitzer, President of both Le Monde newspaper group and of France’s anti-discrimination authority, and the philosopher and sociologist Robert Castel, will be recorded at national radio station Radio Classique and broadcast simultaneously via the web. The conference, which will be interactive, is to be hosted by journalists from both Radio Classique and the financial daily Les Echos.

Originally launched in 2005 by Audencia Nantes School of Management and the Enterprise Institute, these debates bring together high-profile business leaders and philosophers to discuss a theme chosen by the business leader in question.

‘Making Sense of Management’ seeks to strengthen the cultural awareness of future managers and entrepreneurs so improving their understanding of the world around them and allowing them to examine in detail themes linked to management.

Louis Schweitzer, Robert Castel and two students from each of the six schools will enter the studios to address the theme ‘Does diversity have limits?’ During the debate, the partner schools’ other students will be able to participate by sending their questions via email.

At least four ‘Making Sense of Management’ conferences are to be programmed annually. Each debate will be available on the partner schools’ websites.