SKEMA and Areli support students via the Emergence programme

SKEMA Business School and Areli, a Lille-based non-profit social housing provider working to give young people with insufficient financial resources for social advancement, have agreed to continue their Emergence programme partnership. This initiative enables students with limited finances an opportunity to study at a top institution through SKEMA, which covers their fees.
 
This year, Loubna Masrour and Anissa Marbouh from the Grande Ecole programme, at Lille and Sophia Antipolis campuses respectively, have been able to finance one year of their studies with the help of Areli and SKEMA, who have covered 75% of their tuition fees. "The aim of the Emergence programme, which was launched in 2003, is to support bright, motivated students who do not have the financial resources or networks they need to access a long and selective course of study," said Amaro Carbajal, Chair of Areli, who signed the agreement with Madeleine Martins, Director of Alumni and Fundraising at SKEMA.

"I hope that our partnership with Areli grows and enables us to do more and better in the years to come. I have confidence in the Emergence programme, which has a reputation for excellence at the regional level. It is through actors such as the Areli association that SKEMA wants to deploy and amplify its mechanised actions," said Madeleine Martins, SKEMA Alumni & Fundraising Director at the signing of the convention.

Students helping others

After a thorough pre-selection phase in high schools across the Lille urban area, Areli selected the participants based on a personal and academic application, which covered their future career plans and also their family situation. Voluntary work was a strong point in the applications of both Anissa and Loubna. "I've been volunteering with the French Civil Protection organisation in the south of France for several years," said Anissa, who is in the first year (L3) of the Grande Ecole programme on the Sophia Antipolis campus.

She also serves as the treasurer of SKEMA Conseil and is aiming for a career as a finance manager at UNICEF. She is planning to join the MSc Financial Markets & Investments programme. Loubna serves as the Chair of SKEMA Ventures Club in Lille. She's interested in entrepreneurship and is planning to take part in an exchange with UC Berkeley.