HEC Paris in Qatar joined forces with the French embassy and CCI France-Qatar, the French Business Council in Qatar, to host an event focused on ‘Innovation through Diversity’ to mark International Women’s Day.
The event, sponsored by BNP Paribas and Mazars, gathered 50 professionals from the public and private sectors, including ministries in Qatar, who specialise in areas such as innovation, transformation learning and development. The gathering delved into the connection between diversity and innovation in roundtable discussions.
French ambassador Jean-Baptiste Faivre, stated: “International Women’s Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and raise awareness of their important role in advancing societies the world over. In Qatar, we have the ideal partner in HEC Paris to mark this occasion and leverage the school’s expertise in advancing diversity and inclusion.”
Dr Pablo Martin de Holan, dean of HEC Paris in Qatar, said the school has a continuous commitment to promoting diversity. “Observing International Women’s Day is crucial, however, our dedication to empowering women must be steadfast and not limited to just one day of the year. HEC Paris’ commitment is to provide women with the necessary resources and opportunities so people, women and men, can reach their full potential and become effective leaders, resulting in a fulfilling and impactful professional and personal life,” he added.
HEC Paris in Qatar associate professor, Dr Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj said the theme for IWD 2023 is ‘Embrace Equity’, and this is the starting point to create cultures of trust and belonging, both of which are essential for innovation in any organisation.
“Innovation is now a top priority for many organisations, and leaders and their teams have the opportunity to foster new ideas and creative thinking. Leveraging on diversity is a key element of creating the foundation for innovation, gender diversity provides a strong foundation to encourage new approaches to the new challenges facing the business environment,” Prof Janjuha-Jivraj stated.
CCI France-Qatar managing director, Sandrine Lescaroux, stated: “In a globalised world with environmental challenges, fast technology, and short product life-cycles, diverse teams are essential to solving today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. Despite our tendency to associate with like-minded individuals, embracing a variety of profiles is crucial for generating the best solutions.”
