First edition of Knowledge Day brings alumni back to ESCP to rediscover the value of lifelong learning — and why it matters long after graduation.
There is a particular energy in coming back to school years after graduation. The surroundings may feel familiar, but the questions have changed. What once may have been about preparing for a career becomes a chance to step back, sharpen one's perspective and reconnect with the habit of learning.
That is the idea behind the first edition of Knowledge Day, taking place on Friday 12 June 2026 at ESCP Champerret Campus as part of Reconnection Days 2026, a two-day class reunion organised by ESCP Alumni with the support of the School and the ESCP Foundation.
Designed as a day of upskilling in the spirit of excellence, knowledge and positive impact, the event brings alumni back for four masterclasses on some of the major issues shaping business and society today. We spoke to ESCP Executive MBA alumnus Nabil Behloul about how lifelong learning changes after graduation, and why alumni return to campus for more than nostalgia.
Lifelong learning as a leadership responsibility
Leaders must make decisions in environments where technology evolves quickly, global dynamics are complex and social expectations are changing. Technical knowledge still matters, but so do judgement, perspective, adaptability and emotional intelligence.
In this context, the first Knowledge Day will explore four major themes through the voices of ESCP professors, experts and alumni:
- Artificial Intelligence with Louis-David Benyayer (ESCP 2000), Nicolas Guyon (MiM 05) & Marjolaine Catil (MiM 15)
- Geopolitics with Maxime Lefebvre & Caroline Ferrari (ESCP 89)
- Innovation with Prof. Frédéric Fréry & Justine Lecallier (MiM 21)
- Optimism with Prof. Philippe Gabilliet
For Behloul, the current state of the world makes regular upskilling necessary. "Today, continued learning feels more important than ever," he says. "We are living through a period shaped by AI, uncertainty, sustainability challenges, and profound transformations in leadership and society."
He adds that leaders need to adapt not only in skills, but in mindset. Learning, in other words, is not something to be postponed until there is more time. It is part of how leaders remain relevant now.
Growing knowledge, building lasting relationships
Reconnection Days is built on community, but the desire to return is not only about nostalgia. Alumni also come back because the ESCP community offers something increasingly valuable: a trusted space for thoughtful exchange.
"What I value most is the quality of the conversations, the diversity of viewpoints, and the generosity that naturally exists within the network," says Behloul.
For him, the most useful conversations are rarely limited to business development or career progression. They are often about identity, transitions, confidence, meaning and transformation.
During periods of transition in my own life and career, I would say that knowledge, perspective, and relationships are deeply interconnected. However, relationships have probably mattered the most. Knowledge can open doors, perspective can provide clarity, but trusted human connections are often what truly help us move forward and reinvent ourselves.
ESCP Executive MBA alumnus
The day offers access to professors and experts, but it also creates the conditions for alumni to learn from one another. Across generations, sectors and career paths, participants bring their own questions and perspectives into the room. That is what makes the exchange matter.
A first edition with a wider purpose
The first Knowledge Day is a reminder that learning does not end at graduation. For many leaders, it becomes more valuable with time.
That is what makes Reconnection Days worth marking. It brings alumni back to campus, but it also brings them back to a habit: questioning, listening and learning with others. Behloul reminds us that learning, like leadership, is a long game. "In a world where technology evolves rapidly and uncertainty has become permanent, reconnecting with thoughtful people, sharing perspectives, and continuing to learn collectively becomes essential."
In a world where technology evolves rapidly and uncertainty has become permanent, reconnecting with thoughtful people, sharing perspectives, and continuing to learn collectively becomes essential.
ESCP Executive MBA alumnus
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