10 March, 2026

On Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, the Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence welcomed a vibrant group of international visitors to its campus, hosting eight students and two faculty members from the prestigious the Faculté des Métiers - École Hôtelière de Cannes (Faculty of Trades, Cannes Hotel School).

 

The delegation, led by Jean-Marc Maisetti (Professor of English and Multimedia) and Nadege Miral (Referent for BTS MCO), travelled from Dublin specifically for the engagement. For many of the students, the visit to the Hincks Centre was cited as the anticipated "highlight" of their entire Irish study trip.

The afternoon opened with a lecture on the shifting landscape of global business, emphasising the urgent move toward sustainability. The session highlighted how graduates can drive this transition through their unique skill sets, particularly by leveraging an entrepreneurial mindset. The session bridged the gap between traditional entrepreneurship and social enterprise, with an emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where many were introduced to the concept for the first time. Students were able to give examples of how this is revelant to them, their work and their studies currently.

 

The theoretical portion of the afternoon was followed by a high-energy, interactive LEGO® Serious Play® session. This facilitated workshop allowed students to:

 

• Visualise complex business challenges through 3D modelling.

• Communicate individual thoughts and ideas on sustainable entrepreneurship.

 

• Collaborate across language barriers using the universal language of play.

 

• Reflect on what they learned during earlier sessions.

 

• Place sustainable entreprenreuship and the associated skills in the context of thier own studies and aspirations

 

The Hincks Centre, known for its leadership in entrepreneurship research and education, continues to expand its international footprint through such collaborations. By hosting the Cannes Hotel School, the Centre not only shared Irish entrepreneurial expertise but also fostered a cross-cultural dialogue on the future of the European hospitality industry.

 

Rebecca Robinson
Hincks Centre Researcher