Schiller International University Celebrates the Inauguration of Its New Paris Campus in La Défense

A new location, a growing community and new opportunities to connect with the professional world. On October 28, Schiller International University officially celebrated the inauguration of its new Paris Campus in La Défense with “The Future of Global Talent,” an event that brought together the Schiller community, institutional representatives, international organizations and business leaders to mark this new chapter for the university in Paris. 

The campus has already been welcoming students since the beginning of the academic year, but the inauguration provided an opportunity to bring together the Schiller community, guests and partners to officially mark this new chapter for the university in Paris. 

Schiller’s move to La Défense, one of Paris’s major business districts, comes as the Paris Campus continues to grow. Beyond providing a new home for its expanding community, the location places students closer to a large concentration of companies and organizations, creating new possibilities for a richer student experience and stronger connections with the professional environment surrounding them. 

This potential was also emphasized during the ceremony by Alexandre Brugère, Préfet des Hauts-de-Seine, who described La Défense as Europe’s largest business district. The space hosts over 70,000 students across more than 50 higher education establishments where businesses and institutions meet students and researchers from a variety of disciplines.  

The inauguration reflected that ambition. From an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to a round table on “The Future of Global Talent,” the evening combined celebration with conversation, professional perspectives and opportunities to network. 

Key Takeaways 

• A New Chapter for Schiller Paris: The new La Défense Campus has been operational since the beginning of the academic year, with “The Future of Global Talent” on October 28 inauguration officially celebrating the move. 
• Closer to the Business Community: The move places Schiller students in one of Paris’s key business areas, surrounded by companies and organizations that can enrich their international university experience. 
• A Location with Opportunities for the Future: Préfet Alexandre Brugère highlighted the potential of the Hauts-de-Seine environment to create encounters, learning opportunities and professional prospects for students. 
• Discussing the Future of Global Talent: The panel highlighted critical thinking and diplomatic skills across professions as essential in the age of AI, with experiential learning developing global thinkers and certification making skills visible to employers. Adaptability, understanding different perspectives and solving pressing global challenges were central to employers’ needs. 
• Creating New Connections: Students contributed questions for the round-table speakers, while campus tours, a cocktail and an interactive networking activity gave guests further opportunities to discover the new space and connect with other attendees. 

A New Chapter for Schiller in Paris 

Schiller’s new Paris Campus has been operational since the start of the academic year, providing a new home for the university’s growing community in the French capital. 

The move to La Défense reflects this growth while also bringing Schiller closer to the heart of Paris’s business community. The area is home to a wide range of companies and organizations, creating an environment in which the academic, professional and student experience can increasingly intersect. 

This connection between education and the surrounding economic environment was one of the themes highlighted by Préfet Alexandre Brugère during the inauguration. In his remarks, he described La Défense as a dynamic district that brings together businesses and institutions alongside students and researchers from many disciplines. He also pointed to the potential for Schiller students to benefit from new encounters, learning experiences and career opportunities within the Hauts-de-Seine. 

For an international university, location can play an important role in what happens beyond the classroom. Studying in an area with such a strong business presence gives students another opportunity to experience their host city through its professional environment, while being part of the broader student life surrounding the new campus. 

The October 28 inauguration therefore marked more than the opening of a new physical space. It represented an opportunity to celebrate what that new location can mean for Schiller’s community in Paris. 

Officially Celebrating Schiller’s New Home 

The evening began with opening remarks from Dr. Matthew Andrews, Paris Campus Director; Dr. Vishwajeet Rana, GEDU Group CEO; and Alexandre Brugère, Préfet des Hauts-de-Seine. 

In his remarks, Préfet Brugère welcomed Schiller’s decision to establish its campus in La Défense and expressed his hope that it would become a place not only for work, study and reflection, but also for openness, diversity and dialogue, contributing to the development of talent and future career paths.  

The opening remarks were followed by the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, bringing guests together to commemorate Schiller’s move and officially celebrate the new campus. 

The inauguration then moved from celebrating Schiller’s new home to considering a subject closely connected to the university’s international educational environment: the future of global talent. 

Bringing Different Perspectives to the Future of Global Talent 

The evening continued with “The Future of Global Talent,” a round table bringing together perspectives from business, international organizations, education and the La Défense community. 

The discussion featured Pierre-Yves Guice, CEO of La Défense; Mickaël Locoh, President of AMCHAM France and VP Southern Europe and Africa at Steelcase; Alex Mejia, Division Director of UNITAR; and Dr. Marta Muñiz, Independent Schiller Director. 

The conversation was moderated by Audrey Steeves, Editor at News Tank Education et Recherche. 

Students also had the opportunity to contribute to the conversation by preparing questions for the speakers ahead of the round table, bringing their own interests and perspectives into a discussion focused on global talent. 

Human Skills at the Heart of Global Talent 

The panel’s central message placed people at the heart of the AI debate: as artificial intelligence reshapes work, human skills become essential. Critical thinking emerged as the defining capability—the ability to question assumptions, weigh different perspectives and make informed judgments. Diplomatic skills were highlighted as equally relevant across professions, helping professionals navigate differences and work across borders in an increasingly global business environment. 

The discussion also connected how students learn with how they prepare for that environment. Experiential learning was identified as key to developing global thinkers, enabling students to put knowledge into practice and engage with different contexts. Building those capabilities is only part of the task: skills also need to be certified so they are visible to employers. 

For employers, the need extends beyond technical expertise. The speakers emphasized professionals who can adapt, understand different perspectives and create solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Taken together, these conclusions framed the future of global talent not simply as a question of keeping pace with technology, but of developing—and demonstrating—the human capabilities needed to use it thoughtfully and work effectively across cultures. 

Discovering the Campus and Building New Connections 

Following the round table, the evening shifted towards conversation and networking with a cocktail reception and tours of the new campus. 

Guests had the opportunity to discover the facilities while meeting other members of the Schiller community, speakers, partners and fellow attendees. 

Networking was also made more interactive through a game designed to encourage guests to meet and speak with other people attending the inauguration, with participants having the opportunity to win a prize. 

It was a fitting conclusion to an event centered not only on a new location, but also on the connections and opportunities that can develop within it. 

With the Paris Campus already active since the beginning of the academic year, the inauguration on October 28 provided an opportunity to pause and celebrate the beginning of this new chapter for Schiller in La Défense. 

As the Paris community continues to grow, its new home brings students closer to the companies, organizations and professional environment around them, creating new possibilities for learning, networking and experiencing Paris beyond the classroom. And, reflecting Préfet Brugère’s vision for the new campus, it also provides a space where knowledge, talent, diversity and dialogue can come together.