Staff Interview with Jacques Marino

What inspired you to work EmLyon?

I have moved to three different countries as a professional and always came back to EmLyon business school to work while living in France. I had a professor at Uni who was also teaching at EmLyon at Master's level and it really got my interest. But now having worked there I really appreciate the strong feeling of community in the staff and students. It has a feeling that you’re part of a family, and everyone does their best to offer the best experience to students.

Describe a typical day at work.

My typical day at work is liaise with partners, contact new partners for collaboration, promote our exchange and study abroad free mover program, and Zoom or in-person presentations of EmLyon and our exchange programs.

Why do you do what you do?

My study abroad experiences were the best experiences I had, and now I want to help future study abroad students live the same experiences, which will change their lives for the best.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite is part is definitely helping international and domestic students achieve their dreams to study abroad and achieve their goals. I know I can make a real difference.

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

I studied abroad twice and worked in three different countries in this role. Because of this, I know how institutions work and their expectations, and how it is to study abroad. I can make an impact and help students plan, in the best possible way, their future experience abroad. 

What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?

A major challenge that I face is that this is not a static role, you work with hundred of institutions, agents, students, applicants at a global scale. There are always new things happening for the best or otherwise, and you need to be able to face those challenges in the fastest and best way possible.

What are some current projects you are working on?

We are developing new Summer School programs in different campuses. We also plan to extend our offer to other courses and campuses. I also want to further develop our study abroad programs with internships, and create more partnerships with other institutions.

What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?

To be positive in any situation, make the best of the experience and my time, and enjoy any opportunity. Also, thoroughly prepare and have back up plans if anything goes wrong, as it always does, unfortunately. But don’t worry, as it will always be fine in the end. Smile and enjoy!

What makes EmLyon special?

Our institution is focused on individual support to our students and staff; we feel like a community or family. We also have a strong focus on entrepreneurship, and it shows in our action learning and innovative courses. Student associations are very popular and active in our institution and we have a very strong alumni and company network, which benefits the students.

Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?

Our courses, action learning, group work, and innovative courses, plus our international renowned professors. We are a triple-accredited institution, and our programs are in the top 100 of the QS and FT rankings. Additionally, our career center offers strong support. 

What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?

To be more visible internationally. We are very popular in our region and country, as well as in western Europe, but otherwise are less recognised unfortunately. So I hope international students can get the chance to know and experience a study abroad experience at EmLyon Business School.

What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?

We have six campuses—three in France, one in Africa, two in India, and one in China. These different campuses make it really attractive to international students looking for study abroad experience. We recruit a high number of international students and renowned professors, and all our courses are offered in English and French—so no one needs to worry about knowing our language and can still take French courses!

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

I hope they understand the action learning and innovative mindset from EmLyon, and the strong community feeling of our students and institution. And get more than French experience through our international courses and students.

If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?

I would go to any of our programs as they are really international and focused in all industries. So it would really depend on the interest you would have a the moment, whether it is sports industry, luxury industry, or digital. But all our cohorts and programs are special and worth taking part.

What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?

Candidates often have questions on the application, tuition fees, or courses. I have created a dedicated website with all the information provided and also contact all the candidates to make sure they have all the needed information. I also share my Calendly agenda so they can schedule a call or Zoom with me. This way they get to know me and EmLyon or the program, and I can help them with any questions they have.

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

It opens your mind and broadens your knowledge. My favorite reason would be that you learn that everything you knew is done differently somewhere else, so there is no perfect way to do something. Try to build your own path—it will be fine.

Why do you think learning a new language is important?

Learning new languages is important to get a better experience, as it will be useful to settle in your new country, and will be useful in the future. It also changes your way of thinking, and your behaviour. You will start changing and I always hope that this is for the best.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

Know what you want, what you are looking for, before starting to look for international experience. And once you know what you are looking for, take the chance to explore all your opportunities. The most obvious or famous option is not always the one for you. Everyone has his specific needs, goals, and interests, so investigate and know where you are going and what is the right choice for you, as you will then get the best experience.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

It changes who you are, changes the way you think, and what you are looking for in the future. It does not matter the country, city, institution; the overall experience will change you, so you need to make the most of it so you can experience it all. It will change you forever.