ESCP Europe - London News Room

London For Free

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:58:00 +0100

As much as we love London, it can be an expensive city. That said, there are plenty of memorable places you can visit for free. Here are our top five:

1. The South Bank
Talking a walk along the South Bank is one of the best ways to get to know London and, if you haven't already, fall in love with it. It's a journey that even the most seasoned Londoners enjoy repeating!

Take the Jubilee line to Westminster station and cross the River Thames via Westminster Bridge (the one next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament). There are steps leading down to the riverside walk on your left � take these and head towards the London Eye and beyond.

On a weekend, the South Bank bustles with activity. There are always plenty of street performers and buskers, as well as a massive second-hand book sale outside the BFI Southbank. Keep on walking and you'll pass the OXO tower, the Tate Modern (also free) and the replacer Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Further on you'll see HMS Belfast, a Royal Navy cruiser which now functions as a floating museum, and then finally the beautiful Tower Bridge.
http://www.southbankwalks.com

2. Museums
You'll be amazed at how many of London's biggest museums are completely free. Our favourites include the British Museum (glorious architecture and a dazzling range of exhibits), the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs!), and the V&A, which houses more than 4.5 million works and is reputed to be the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design.

There are too many to go into much detail, but Time Out online has a great guide to the city�s free museums: http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/1461/free-museums-in-london

3. Spitalfields
Old Spitalfields Market is � as the name suggests � not only old, but the capital's oldest: it was established in 1638. In recent years it has evolved into a trendy weekend haunt for shoppers and food lovers. It can get really busy on Sundays, and the market stalls are not open on Saturdays (only the shops), but if you're unperturbed by a bit of hustle and bustle you'll love browsing Spitalfields' mix of vintage, handmade and commercial fare.
http://www.spitalfields.co.uk

4. Speakers' Corner
Bear with us on this one � it will require getting up early on a Sunday morning! Speakers' Corner is found in the north-east of Hyde Park, and it�s a spot where anyone can turn up and talk on any subject they wish to whoever fancies listening, as long as the speech in question doesn�t tread any dodgy ground (such as inciting racial violence). While this isn't unique to London, the concept did originate here before spreading to several other countries. Past speakers have included Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell. Although there is no designated 'slot' for speakers to appear, Sunday mornings are the best time to visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakers%27_Corner

5. Golders Hill Park
Keeping closer to home, we love Golders Hill Park. It's only 15 minutes from campus. Although this park is relatively small compared to its neighbour, Hampstead Heath, it includes a miniature zoo with lemurs and kookaburras, and some well-maintained tennis courts. Our favourite part of the park is Hill Garden (accessed through woodland beyond the deer enclosure), which features a gorgeous Pergola. Well worth a little exploration!
http://bit.ly/wCUjc7

Five Things You Must Do in London

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:06:00 +0100

Welcome to ESCP Europe � and welcome to London!

London is a unique and exciting location, both professionally and socially; we know you're going to love living here. However, it can be daunting to move to such a huge place � most of the staff and faculty here at the London campus didn't grow up in the city, so we know how it feels! That's why we plan on posting little articles like this to help you find your feet and make the most of everything London has to offer you.

To begin, here are five things you have to make sure you do before you move on to your next campus...

1. Spend the day in and around St. James's Park
Like most of London's parks, this is a peaceful oasis in the centre of an always bustling city. It also happens to be one of the lesser-known spots (most tourists head to Hyde Park, or bypass the Park in favour of a stroll down The Mall), making it a must see. In amongst the trees and carefully tended flower beds is a lake reserved purely for the park's avian population. Make a point of looking out for the family of enormous pelicans! Pelicans were first introduced to the park in the 17th century, and have been a fixture ever since.

St. James's Park is bookended by two of London's most famous landmarks � Buckingham Palace (the Queen's residence) and Downing Street (where our Prime Minister lives). You will also find the Churchill War Room s close by, and the Institute for Contemporary Arts.

How to get there: Westminster, Charing Cross or St. James's Park stations
Cost: Free!

2. Take a ride on the London Eye
Opened on Millennium Eve, the London Eye was intended as a temporary feature. Still going strong 12 years later, it's now a permanent fixture on the South Bank and visited by 3.5 million people every year. Taking a ride on the Eye is one of the best ways to really grasp how large a city London really is - on a clear day, you can see for around 25 miles!

Because of its popularity, the Eye can get very busy, especially on weekends. Booking ahead of your visit can help save a lot of time.

How to get there: Waterloo, Westminster or Embankment station
Cost: �17.01 per person

3. Climb to the top of Primrose Hill
This is a great activity for a sunny day, regardless of the season. Primrose Hill is a part of the larger Regents Park, and has vantage point considered so lovely that the view itself is protected in planning law. The climb to the top of this 63ft slope might leave you a little breathless, but it's more than worth the effort.

How to get there: St John's Wood or Chalk Farm stations
Cost: Free!

4. Go to a show
London is famed for its theatre � from big budget West End Musicals to hidden gems in underground former dance halls, there's nowhere quite like London (unless you happen to be in New York, of course!)

Ticket prices can get quite steep for some of the West End shows, so we recommend queuing at the TKTS booth on Leicester Square. There you can pick up tickets for shows taking place on the same day at a discounted rate � perfect if you're on a budget.

Be sure to check out the smaller theatres closer to ESCP Europe, too, like Kilburn's Tricycle or the Hampstead Theatre.

How to get there: TKTS � Leicester Square station; Tricycle � Kilburn or Brondesbury stations; Hampstead Theatre � Swiss Cottage station.
Cost: Varies

5. Visit Camden High Street on a Sunday
It's a crowded and noisy tourist trap, but Camden is never more buzzing than on a Sunday afternoon. The quirky businesses that run all the way from Camden Town to Chalk Farm tube stations have something for everyone; and when you're tired and need to refuel, you're guaranteed to find food from all four corners of the globe close by.

Our top tip is to arrive via Chalk Farm station � it's always far less busy. Turn left out of the station and head down Camden High Street (passing the Roundhouse on the way), before making a beeline for the Stables Market, an amazing souk-style labyrinth of shops, stalls and eateries.

How to get there: Chalk Farm, Camden Town or Mornington Crescent tube stations
Cost: Free!

Tickets for the London Annual Gala are now on sale!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0100

What better way to start the year than looking forward to the London campus Annual Gala?

This year's event is taking place on Friday, 23rd March -- a little earlier than usual to ensure all London students from the last academic year get the chance to attend. It is being hosted by the 5* Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, who are also offering special room rates for attendees (more information here).

We'll be starting at 7:00pm with a champagne reception, followed by a three-course dinner, and finish up with a prize draw, music, dancing and general celebrations!

You can click here to see how last year's event went. Needless to say, everyone had a fantastic time, and we're anticipating an even better party for 2012!

BUY TICKETS HERE

London Campus Open Day - 3rd February

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0100

The London campus will be hosting its first Open Day of 2012 on Friday, 3rd February. If you're interested in finding out more about our postgraduate programmes (Master in Management, Master in European Business, Master in Marketing & Creativity or Summer Courses), then register your place today! We're really looking forward to meeting you.

Date: 3rd February 2012
Time: 13.30 - 17.00
Location: ESCP Europe London Campus, 527 Finchley Road, London, NW3 7BG
Directions

To attend this Open Day, please download the Registration Form and return it to our Admissions department. This download includes a schedule for the day.

Corporate Disclosures on Sustainability

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:17:00 +0100

Professor Davide Sola (ESCP Europe), Professor Martin Bennett (University of Gloucestershire), and Lucie Roux (Research Associate at ESCP Europe) have released a paper entitled 'Corporate Disclosures on Sustainability'. Commissioned by the CCAB, this report summarises the current position of corporate sustainability reporting in the UK, and provides a thought piece to inform discussion and debate. The discussion paper can be found online via the CCAB website.

For further information, please contact Prof. Davide Sola:

Tel: +44 (0)20 7443 8880
Email: dsola@escpeurope.eu

Invitation to join an ESCP Europe student focus group

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:35:00 +0100

The Marketing department would like to invite London campus students to a focus group discussion about media consumption during your search for postgraduate programmes. In order to understand our students better and to ensure we are using the best channels to attract future students, we would like to hear your opinion about social media, online platforms and more traditional media channels (e.g. daily newspapers or magazines). We are keen to learn which channels worked for you, which didn't and why. Your views are very valuable to us in developing services which meet your needs and the needs of ESCP Europe students in the coming years.

The focus group will be organised in cooperation with our media agency, Global Minds, a specialist in business education when it comes to media planning and buying. The managing director will kick off the meeting with a short snapshot of a media agency's role, including the following aspects:

- Media planning and buying
- The art of negotiation
- Agency/client/media relationships, and how they can work to everyone's advantage
- Execution and after-sales service

The talk promises to give a hands-on and practical insight into an agency's daily work life and will be a perfect addition to the theoretical knowledge acquired during lectures.

We will allocate places on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring at the same time that students from different courses and backgrounds (academically, ethnically and professionally) are represented. We aim to invite a total of 15 people (five students from each programme � Master in Marketing & Creativity, Master in Management and Master in European Business).

Time: 16:00
Date: Wednesday, 1st February, 2012
Location: ESCP Europe London campus (room TBC)

A light supper and refreshments will be provided during our discussion. Please let me know if you have any specific dietary requirements.

If you are interested in attending, please let me know by Friday 20th January and I will provide further details. You can call me on +44 (0)20 7443 8872 or reply via email. Alternatively, stop by the Admissions and Marketing office in room G52.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The London Campus Postgraduate Tour Schedule!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:37:00 +0100

Okay, so we're not quite rock and roll enough for a tour schedule as such, but you can come meet us at a postgraduate fair near you!

We've started updating our postgrad fair calendar for 2012. If you're interested in a particular programme or just want to find out more about ESCP Europe in general, come on down and say hi.

More will be added to the Open Days & Fairs page in the future, so keep an eye on that for updates.

We're looking forward to meeting you!

Current dates:

The Postgraduate Study and MBA Fair
Date: 25th January 2012
Time: 1pm - 7pm
Venue: Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Directions
Register

TARGETcourses Postgraduate Study & Funding Fair Wales
Date: 9th February 2012
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Venue: The Great Hall, Cardiff University Student Union
Directions
Register

The Student World
Date: 17th March 2012
Time: 9am - 4pm
Venue: The Emirates Stadium, London N5 1BU
Directions
Register

The Spring Graduate Fair
Date: 21st March 2012
Time: 12pm - 4pm
Venue: Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Directions
Register

The International Conference of the Financial Engineering and Banking Society

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0100

The 2nd International Conference of the Financial Engineering and Banking Society (FEBS) will take place on 7th and 8th June, 2012 at the ESCP Europe London campus. The meeting aims to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas and present new research results on the theory and modern practice of financial engineering and bank management. The 2012 Conference is organised by ESCP Europe Business School under the auspices of FEBS, and in collaboration with the Financial Engineering Laboratory of the Technical University of Crete (Greece).

The conference, titled 'Recent Developments in Financial Markets and Banking', covers a wide range of topics related to financial engineering and banking, including but not limited to:

Analysis and risk management of banking institutions
Asset-liability management
Liquidity management
Credit risk modelling
Asset pricing
Project finance
Commodities modelling, pricing and risk management
Financial derivatives
Regulation, supervision and policy
Exchange rates and exchange rate regimes
Islamic banking and finance
Monetary policy
Bank diversification, universal banks and financial conglomerates
Securitisation in banking
Specialised lending
Bank efficiency, productivity and performance measurement
International banking
International financial crisis and systemic risk
Mergers and acquisitions in banking
Bancassurance
Risk management for insurance companies
Banking services
Quality management in the banking sector
Money and capital markets

The 2012 Conference will put a special emphasis in the developments of the banking and risk management industries in a financial crisis era.

To find out more about the conference and to register your place, please visit the dedicated FEBS pages.

In Memory of Neil Clarke

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:29:00 +0100

We are sad to report that Neil Clarke, chairman of ESCP Europe Business School's UK Board of Trustees from 1985 to 2007, died on Sunday, 27th November 2011.

Neil joined the governing charity of EAP when it was based in Oxford, and was later involved in the merger of EAP and ESCP. He was instrumental in obtaining accreditation for the Master in Management from City University. When the School decided it should move from Oxford to London, he led the search for a new location, sourcing and negotiating the purchase of the current Finchley Road premises.

He was fully committed to the welfare and development of the School and his continuing guidance will be greatly missed. Our sympathy is extended to his family at this time.

AVARAP Career Change Workshops

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:08:00 +0100

AVARAP Career Change Workshops

A new series of career-change workshops will run from January to April, led by professional coach Laure Fau. We will be holding an information meeting at the London Campus on 7th December 2011 at 7pm, during which you can meet Laure and find out more about the workshops.

Please note, these sessions are for people with at least five years' work experience, and are:

- thinking of changing company, role or career path;
- considering starting their own business; or
- unemployed/returning to work after a career gap.

As well as the rigorous process applied, the dynamics of the group are key to the success as all participants engage in helping each other through their experience and contacts.

The group will include ESCP Europe alumni as well as alumni from other business schools. Attending the information session is mandatory in order to be included in the group.

Weekly sessions will start on Wednesday 11th January, 2012.