An initiative already active across several areas of collaboration
Beyond Competition is an initiative already underway, structured around several complementary areas of collaboration:
- Engaging alumni in a lifelong learning dynamic across the network of Belgian business schools
- Collaboration between Master’s students and PhD candidates on consulting and applied research projects
- Training for doctoral candidates and early-career researchers focused on Ethics, Responsibility & Sustainability (ERS)
- Mobilising and training executives to support the concrete transformation of organisational practices
At the heart of the project lies the ambition to create an ongoing dialogue between alumni, students, researchers and companies on both the theoretical and practical challenges of organisational transformation and the integration of principles of ethics, responsibility and sustainability.
A landmark event: a debate on geopolitics and sustainability
The official launch of Beyond Competition took place on Monday, 9 February 2026, at the Fondation Universitaire in Brussels, during a public debate entitled:
“Can sustainability survive a world of power politics?”
The evening brought together researchers, business leaders, students and political figures for a high-level discussion between Philippe Lamberts (former Member of the European Parliament and co-chair of the Greens/EFA group) and Prof. Rudy Aernoudt (professor at Ghent University and Chief of Staff to Georges-Louis Bouchez), moderated by Matthieu de Nanteuil, Dean of the Louvain School of Management, and Louis-Philippe Kerkhove, professor at Ghent University.
Beyond Competition Student Award
The event concluded with the presentation of the Best Student Project Award, which highlights an outstanding consulting or research project developed by students within the framework of Beyond Competition.
Congratulations to Emilie Art, Maria Alejandra Gómez Quevedo, Corey L., and Mathis Walcarius, who received the award for their project with Alta Group. Special thanks to Alexander Appelmans for hosting and mentoring them.
This recognition highlights the initiative’s commitment to the next generation of leaders and celebrates concrete work focused on sustainability.
ICHEC welcomes the collective momentum, support and shared energy surrounding this structuring initiative for the future of management education in Belgium.
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