ESCP Geopolitics Institute
Our Mission
The ESCP Geopolitics Institute critically examines the dynamics between geoeconomics, economics and business. Our mission is to observe, analyze, and decode this complex interplay. We offer a unique and balanced approach to understanding how economic systems and landscapes evolve in response to deep-rooted yet constantly evolving geopolitical forces. Our work is designed to serve public and private decision-makers, academia, and representatives of civil society.
Founded on a diverse academic base, the Institute is supported by scholars and professionals specializing in geopolitics, geo-economics, and European integration. By building partnerships with leading institutions, we aim to foster collaborative research, facilitate dialogue, and contribute to global strategic thinking.
Our DNA
Co-direction
Maxime Lefebvre
Permanent Affiliate Professor in International Relations
Maxime Lefebvre, born in 1967, is a career diplomat, since 2022 seconded to ESCP Business School as Permanent Affiliate Professor. He is teaching international relations and is the scientific director of the MSc "International Business & Diplomacy".
He began his diplomatic career in 1994, has been working as a technical councellor at Hubert Védrine's Cabinet office on strategic affairs, Balkans and Russia, as director of international relations at ENA, and as a deputy director of the policy planning staff. He was posted in Berlin and in Brussels (European Union) and was ambassador / permanent representative to the OSCE in Vienna.
He has written a lot of books and articles about international relations and European policy.
Vanessa Strauss-Kahn
Professor of Economics
Vanessa Strauss-Kahn has been professor of economics at ESCP Business School since 2008. She received a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and has worked for the World Bank, the United Nations, as well as the Inter-American Development Bank on specific missions.
Prof. Strauss-Kahn teaches microeconomics and international trade to Bachelor, Master and EMBA students. She does research on economic geography and international trade, focusing on trade liberalization and its impact on firms’ performances, global value chain and labor market as well as trade diversification and development. Recently, she studied financial and political crises. Her work has been published in renowned journals such as The Review of Economics and Statistic, The Journal of International Economics or The Review of World Economics.
Permanent Faculty
Joachim Bitterlich
Senior Fellow
Faculty Dean's Office
jbitterlich@escp.eu
David Chekroun
Associate Professor
Law Economics & Humanities
dchekroun@escp.eu
Jérôme Creel
Professor
Law Economics & Humanities
jcreel@escp.eu
Hamed Ghiaie
Associate Professor
Law Economics & Humanities
hghiaie@escp.eu
Collaboration and Partnership
CERALE - Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche Amérique Latine Europe
CERALE aims to foster joint research between European and Latin American experts on a broad range of topics, from macroeconomic issues to management issues. Every issue is explored from a dual European and Latin American perspective.
Florence Pinot de Villechenon
The Future of European Multinationals (FEM)
FEM explores the future of European Multinationals, examining the impacts of broader trends such as geopolitical tensions, protectionism, de-globalization, and technological disruptions in global value chains. The center focuses on key areas including governance, strategies, structures, managerial and cultural aspects, and the economic and ecological environments of these firms. It also develops a regional approach by analyzing the similarities and differences between multinationals from various European countries, generating insights to help them navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing global landscape.
Stefan Schmid
Our Lens
The Institute fosters a dynamic platform that connects academic researchers, business practitioners, policymakers, and civil society. We encourage collaborative innovation and interdisciplinary dialogue on global geopolitical and economic challenges, facilitating the exchange of ideas and insights across diverse sectors.
By focusing on research areas that enhance the European identity of the school, we position it at the heart of critical geopolitical and geo-economic discussions. We turn academic insights into practical, high-impact solutions, bridging the gap between theory and practice to inform business and policy decisions.
Our Research Projects
Europe After the War in Ukraine
The project "Europe after the War in Ukraine" is a collaborative research initiative between ESCP Business School, INALCO, and Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle, under the Sorbonne Alliance network. The project aims to assess the consequences of the war in Ukraine since 2022 for Europe in geopolitical, geo-economic, and business terms. It will focus on 4 main areas: the future of relations of the European Union with Eastern Europe, the assessment of the sanctions policy towards Russia, the future of European defence and security, and the energy policies.
Research Team: Frédéric Bozo (Sorbonne Nouvelle), Laure Delcour (Sorbonne Nouvelle), Maxime Lefebvre (ESCP), Georgia Makridou (ESCP), Julien Vercueil (INALCO).
The Report on corporate globalization and innovation
Private R&D & innovation is driven by a small number of MNEs worldwide. The goal of the scorecard is to provide a unique perspective on their geographic presence across the main economic regions. In a rising period of techno nationalism, R&D run by these corporate giants are geopolitically crucial.
Project Leader: Régis Coeurderoy (ESCP)
Research team: Régis Coeurdroy, Duong Nguyen (ESCP)
External expert: Xuejing Yang (researcher, ESCP alumni)
OurEvents
Events at the Geopolitics Institute
The Geopolitics Institute organizes conferences, roundtables, and webinars, bringing together professors from ESCP and hosting external experts and practitioners from politics, administration, and business, on topics related to the institute. The institute mobilizes the campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, and Turin in this dynamic, with each campus also hosting events related to locally specific topics.
Past Events
Host: Maxime Lefebvre and Vanessa Strauss-Kahn, Co-directors of the ESCP Geopolitics Institute
Speakers:
- David Bertolotti, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Jean-François Copé, Former Minister, Mayor of Meaux
- Pejman Gohari, Expert in Digital Transformation for Businesses
- Juha Heikkilä, Adviser, European Commission
- Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde, Director of the Technology Center, IFRI
Host: Maxime Lefebvre, Co-director of the ESCP Geopolitics Institute
Speakers: Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior during the Paris Olympic Games
Highlights of the Event: Gérald Darmanin offered a retrospective on the security policy for the Paris Olympics, looking back to 2020. He detailed how efforts were focused on five key areas: cyberattacks, terrorism, foreign interference, crime, and climate risks. The session was opened by Tatiana Baroin, a student in the MSc "International Business & Diplomacy".
Host: Maxime Lefebvre, Professor at ESCP, Author of Propos sur la souveraineté européenne (Dalloz, 2024)
Speakers:
- Florence Chaltiel, Director of the Revue de l'Union Européenne
- Yves Doutriaux, Honorary State Councillor, Co-author with Maxime Lefebvre of Propos sur la souveraineté européenne (Dalloz, 2024)
- Closing Remarks: Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, National Assembly, Author of the Preface of Propos sur la souveraineté européenne (Dalloz, 2024)
Host: Maxime Lefebvre, Diplomat and Professor at ESCP
Speakers:
- Camille Grand, Distinguished Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations, Former Deputy Secretary General of NATO
- Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy for Ukraine’s Aid and Reconstruction, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Oksana Mitrofanova, PhD in Political Science, Senior Researcher at the World History Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, Lecturer at INALCO, Paris
Host: Maxime Lefebvre, Diplomat and Professor at ESCP
Speakers:
- Marc Abensour, Ambassador for the Indo-Pacific
- Admiral de Saint Germain, Director of the Centre d'Études Stratégiques de la Marine (CESM)
- Julia Tasse, Head of the Climate, Energy and Security Program, Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS)
- Song Young-Gil, Former President of the South Korean Democratic Party and currently Senior Research Fellow at ESCP
Host: Maxime Lefebvre, Diplomat and Professor at ESCP
Speakers:
- Gilles Dorronsoro, Professor of Political Science, Paris 1, Director of the Program Social Dynamics of Civil Wars
- Elie Tenenbaum, Researcher and Director of the Center for Security Studies, IFRI
- David Martinon, Ambassador of France to Afghanistan
Latest Publications
Programs and Training
Education
The objective of the specialisation is to acquire the necessary knowledge and capacities to cope with the logic and rules of economic diplomacy, and to understand the interactions between governments, firms and other non-state actors. At the end of their studies, participants shall be able to deal with the political and geo-economic challenges regarding the regulation of trade activities and the promotion and development of business internationally.