Organized in partnership with Lyon-based NGO Entrepreneurs du Monde, this key educational event invited third-year undergraduate students in Management and Business Administration  (Licence Gestion et Management) to explore major social and environmental challenges while developing their intercultural and collaborative skills.

 

Designing solutions for a more inclusive and sustainable world

Over the course of two days, students worked in teams to design and present a product or service addressing an inclusion or sustainability challenge, drawing inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The first objective is directly connected to iaelyon’s mission and strategy: producing and sharing actionable knowledge, and educating enlightened managers who can drive transitions.

The Global Talks theme fully reflects this ambition. It encourages students to reflect on the challenges that organizations and managers face today, as well as on how our graduates can contribute to building more inclusive and sustainable models."

Marie-Christine Chalus, Dean, iaelyon

Conducted entirely in English, the seminar gave students the opportunity to experience international openness and an intercultural approach in practice, while working on a meaningful project. Supported by around fifteen faculty members and professional experts, they used the Design Thinking methodology to move from identifying a need to designing and prototyping a solution.

This initiative is fully aligned with iaelyon’s “Internationalization at Home” strategy: ensuring that every student can benefit from an international experience, including those who do not study abroad.

With the Global Talks for undergraduate students and the International Week organized for Master’s students in January, we want every student, regardless of their academic journey at iaelyon, to have exposure to an international environment."

Noémie Dominguez, Co-Head of International Development, iaelyon

An opening conference on Financial and social Inclusion through entrepreneurship

The seminar opened with a conference featuring Armelle Renaudin, co-founder of Entrepreneurs du Monde, Ian Best and Candice Béjuit. 
Since 1998, Entrepreneurs du Monde has supported people living in extreme poverty around the world by helping them develop entrepreneurial activities, gain access to energy and adapt to climate change, enabling them to achieve sustainable empowerment. To fulfill its mission, Entrepreneurs du Monde creates and incubates local social organizations until they become autonomous.

The conference gave students the opportunity to discover, through concrete examples and real-life experiences, how entrepreneurship can serve as a powerful driver of empowerment and social transformation.
 

Design Thinking at the heart of the learning experience

At the heart of the seminar, the Design Thinking methodology encouraged students to adopt a user-centered approach based on empathy, experimentation and iteration.

 Students tend to look for an immediate solution using AI tools, which they are very comfortable with. What we expect them to do, instead, is take the time to understand the user’s needs, showing empathy and putting people at the center of the thinking process."

Silvia Didier, Global Talks Coordinator

Beyond ideation, students were also asked to develop physical or tangible prototypes of their solutions. While this was an unfamiliar step for some, it was essential to bring their ideas to life, test them and challenge them through user feedback.

The approach therefore relies on iteration: testing, gathering feedback, making adjustments and starting again.
“It is also a way of learning how to deal with failure constructively, a key skill for future managers,”
explains Silvia Didier.

 

A Meaningful International and Collaborative Experience

In total, around one hundred projects were conceived, prototyped and presented by the students. Through this experience, they developed their ability to work as a team, present their ideas in English and design concrete responses to societal challenges.


I asked each student for one final word at the end of the workshop. The little collection says quite a lot about the experience: solidarity, diversity, reflection, inclusion, interaction, creativity, coordination, innovation, teamwork, cohesion, pitching, partnership, imagination, open-mindedness, listening, design, synergy… And, inevitably, “Too hot” and “sweat” also made the list!”

Edit Prat, Guest Speaker 

Created in 2025, the Global Talks seminar is coordinated by Silvia DIDIER and Noémie DOMINGUEZ, , Co-Heads of International Development at iaelyon School of Management.

 

Thank you to the 15 Speakers who took part in the 2026 Edition

• Lea BARBAUT, PhD Candidate in Strategy, iaelyon
• Laurielle BONNET, Transformation Support Consultant, Flexjob
• Eric DUBOIS, Director of Operations, Renault Trucks
• Céline FERREIRA, Consultant
• Ruud HARTMANNS, Designer of Sustainable Organizations
• Louise LECOMTE, Associate Professor, iaelyon
• Fabienne MANGIN, Communications Consultant, Lis la Com
• Anne MICHAILIDIS TARDY, Brand Strategy Consultant, AMT Consulting
• Edith PRAT, PhD Candidate in Innovation Management and Creativity, Université Grenoble Alpes
• Hélène RAISON, Professional Coach, Capdirigeant
• Meredith STEVENS, Brand Content Strategist, Copywriter, Creative Problem-Solving
• Eva TALENS, PhD Candidate in Strategy, iaelyon
• Tania TAM, Researcher and Facilitator, Geneva Graduate Institute
• Caroline TARILLON, Professor of Entrepreneurship, iaelyon
• Nicola WODTKE, CEO, Wombat Kommunication