Our goal is to train future executives who are both internationally minded and comfortable in their own skin.
Nice Premium: From which procedure(s) do you recruit your students?
Gilbert Gastaud: There are three possibilities… Either joining the BTS, the 3rd-year Bachelor, or the business school (Post Bac). For these three courses, recruitment is initially done through a file review. We analyze each student’s profile and then call them for the admission exam.
NP: Tell us about the entrance exam…
GG: The exam consists of two parts: in the morning, there is the written test (Logical test, CG, Tage, Synthesis Test…), and in the afternoon, the oral interviews (in French and English). Following this day, the candidate receives a response within 12 days.
NP: What are the main criteria you look for in a candidate?
GG: Motivation is a crucial criterion in our decision-making process. During interviews, we ask the candidate to define their professional project, and this is also linked to our decision factor. We also require proficiency in languages due to market development. It’s important to note that IDRAC maintains two languages in all its programs.
NP: Why choose to join IDRAC, what is the main strength of your school?
GG: I can answer without a doubt: professionalization. Whatever the field, there is an option for work-study within IDRAC. For the business school portion, the rhythm is 2 days at IDRAC and 3 days in a company. This allows students to gain professional experience and arrive competitively in the job market.
NP: Speaking of work-study, how do you connect your students with professionals? Do you assist in finding companies?
GG: We have a placement office that works with over 250 partner companies across all sectors. We provide significant assistance, with a dedicated person managing IDRAC-Company relations and supporting students throughout their internship period.
NP: Which sectors do your recent students mainly orient towards?
GG: It depends on each individual’s opportunities, but generally, they mostly head towards Marketing, Finance, or Human Resources. Our general courses allow students to fully choose the beginning of their career.
NP: More and more young French graduates are going abroad; is there an international curriculum? If so, are you partnered with schools worldwide?
GG: Yes, some programs require students to spend a semester abroad. We also offer the possibility to expatriate for a year through the Master’s in Business Management. Note that we have introduced an International Business option for Master1 (most of the courses are conducted in English). We are currently partnered with 56 universities worldwide, from Brazil to China, including Great Britain.
NP: How do you see IDRAC Nice in 5 years?
GG: In constant evolution… More international content in our programs. In terms of partnerships, we wish to continue developing our placement office in France and abroad to offer even more choices to our future students.
NP: What is the current situation at IDRAC Nice?
GG: A relocation of the premises is planned for the next school year, as IDRAC’s current positioning in Nice does not suit me. We will try to return to the city center to benefit from a more dynamic image.
NP: A message to future candidates:
GG: The message is clear: our goal is to train future executives who are both internationally minded and comfortable in their own skin. Believing in the potential of each student, developing it, enriching it while demanding rigor, a sense of action, and responsibility, and openness to the world are values reflected in the profile of IDRAC’s young students, contributing to the success of young graduates.
For more information,
IDRAC Nice – Le Val de Cimiez, 29-31, avenue de la Marne – 06100 Nice
Tel: 04 93 84 83 58 – Fax: 04 92 09 19 44
info@idracnice.com – web: www.idrac-nice.com
