IÉSEG School of Management is located in the heart of Lille in Northern France. With 1.2 million inhabitants, the metropolis of Lille is the third-largest urban area in France.

City Info – Lille, the Gateway to Europe?

Once in Lille, you will discover a unique blend of European traditions: integrating the charm of French city life and with Northern European architecture and history. Lille encompasses distinctive neighborhoods: Bois Blancs, Centre, Faubourg de Béthune, Fives, Lille-Sud, Moulins, Saint-Maurice Pellevoisin, Vauban-Esquermes, Vieux-Lille, Wazemmes. Each neighborhood is unique, with its special weekly open markets, bars, and shops.

With 5 European capitals within a 250 km radius, Lille is also a strategic cross-road in Northern Europe. High-speed trains (TGV) puts Lille 1 hour away from Paris, 1 hour and 30 minutes from London and 35 minutes from Brussels.

Student Life – Lille, Education and Student Culture

Lille’s academic atmosphere… Lille is one of the largest French cities in terms of students, universities, institutes, schools and Grandes Écoles (the elite higher-education centers of France). To support the city’s wealth of academic opportunity, the metropolis boasts 340 research laboratories and 4,000 scientists.

As a credit to its universities (accounting for more than 150,000 students), Lille is renowned for its friendliness and its youthful vitality, as well as its affordable living standard (which includes housing, food, amenities).

IÉSEG in particular…IÉSEG’s repertoire includes a relationship with the Université Catholique de Lille System, providing IÉSEG students with a unique opportunity to access other establishments and resources. While at IÉSEG, we suggest you take advantage of its connections to other academic institutions, including the Catholic University System’s 13 libraries, and a Central Library that holds 400,000 volumes.

The University’s Management Library, which IÉSEG School of Management co-funds, boasts some 35,000 volumes and over 1,000 periodicals.*Further information on the Université Catholique de Lille system can be found at http://www.crous-lille.fr.

Enterprises – The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Endowed with an ideal geographical position, the Lille Metropolis has naturally become a hub of international trade, as well as a magnet for foreign direct investment.
In the metropolis, there are 8 341 entreprises of which: 8,86% are industry, 33,92% commerce, 57,22% tertiary.

The region boasts over 500 foreign funded enterprises, including world leaders and household names, such as: ABN AMRO, Bayer, Bridgestone, BASF, Bombardier, BP, Campbell Soup, Coca Cola, Ferruzi, GAP, ICI, Mc Cain, Mölnlycke, Pirelli, Siemens, Toyota, Unilever, US Robotics, and Xerox.

The region is also the cradle and home base of major French firms such as Auchan, Bonduelle, La Redoute, or Peaudouce.

High Culture

Lille’s place in cultural development…Lille has kept many civil and religious buildings from its ten centuries of history. Lille’s highlights include the Citadelle (Lille’s fortress built by Vauban around 1668), the old Stock Exchange, the Grand Place. In fact—in 2004—Lille was named the Culture Capital of Europe.

A popular sight for most visitors is the Old City (Vieux Lille) with its amazing sculptures, cobblestone streets, pink bricks and white stones, and a 13th century hospital (which now serves as a museum and a concert hall). The Old City offers a myriad of boutiques, big magasins, as well as private art galleries and artist studios.

The metropolis is known for its support of a continuous and varied cultural abundance. Among its many museums and art galleries, Lille prides itself on having France’s second-largest Museum of Fine Arts—Palais des Beaux-Arts—a superb 19th century building, home to prestigious collections of European paintings, sculptures and other treasures. The wealth of the Fine Art Museum complements the collections of the Modern Art Museum, the Natural History Museum, numerous art galleries and last, but not least, the city’s many architectural jewels.

Urban Social Life

The exciting and warm atmosphere of the city does not disappear with nightfall. Lille has a large number of bars, cafés, restaurants and movie theatres.The most popular locations are in the Old City and the Old Halles districts. After dinner, you may check-out the various bars and pubs, in Lille or across the border, in one of Belgium’s much appreciated beer palaces.

Lille is also home to dozens of theatres and concert halls, over ten professional theatrical companies, ballet, dance and musical formations of all kinds. The region’s highlights include the Lille National Orchestra, one of France’s finest philharmonics with 120 performances a year, and a noted Opera with fifteen productions per season. Whether you are a lover of classical theatre or contemporary dance, a jazz fan or simply fascinated by new musical genres, your only difficulty will be in deciding which performance to attend.

Special cultural events…On the first weekend of September, Lille offers a special event: la Braderie, a large market-festival. Merchants as well as visitors come from all around Europe to participate in this event to buy and sell products from food to antiques, making it a special Lilloise celebration.

Sports and Nature

Natural beauty in an urban setting…Lille is also known for its extensive gardens, parks (the Bois de Boulogne which surrounds the Citadelle), and even its Parc zoologique. Both of these are within 10-minute walking distance from IÉSEG. For instance, the Palais Rihour (now the location of the Office de Tourisme) or the ancient wall around the city to discover the sculpted angles, gardens that mark the tastes of Lille.

As for sports…With more than 800,000 members spread over almost 10,000 clubs, the region demonstrates its attachment to the practice of sports. The Metropolis of Lille alone has more than 350,000 sports club affiliates.

The region is also home to prominent football/soccer and basketball teams, and hosts international competitions in athletics.

Last but not least, the region boasts a beautiful natural environment with many seaside resorts and harbours along its 120 kilometres of coastline, lovely rivers and several regional parks. A short walk from the university is the Lille zoo.

For more information , please see http://www.mairie-lille.fr

Weather

Similar to other regions with an oceanic climate (Belgium, England), the summer months tend to be cooler (in centigrade, around low 20’s/farenheit, low 70’s). Lille offers a very pleasant climate in the summer, although you can expect a little rain, which intensifies in the fall. Moreover, the winter months prove to be mild as well.

To get a better sense of the weather in Lille (and France in general), click here.

Transportation Network

The metropolis has a practical, modern, clean and convenient public transportation network. All modes of transportation exist, from subway/underground, to bus and to street-cars. The network is managed by a single company, Transpole. One ticket will take you anywhere, while connections between various modes of transportation are free (Tickets are about €1.50 per unit or €12.50 for 10 ticket booklets—Daily, weekly and monthly passes are at a discount rate).

Access to Lille and IÉSEG Campus

Tel : +33 320 545 892

    • From Paris airport: there are frequent train services that departs directly from Paris main International Airport – Charles de Gaulle to Lille train station in around 50 minutes. The lowest ticket costs less than 25 euros one way.
    • By plane: Lille-Lesquin Airport
    • By train: 2 stations : Lille-Flandres or Lille-Europe. (within 5-minute walking distance from one another)
    • By metro: From Lille Flandres or Lille Europe station, take the metro line 2, direction Saint-Philibert. Stop at Cormontaigne and walk ten minutes towards Boulevard Danel and Boulevard Vauban. Turn on the left on rue Solférino and take rue de la Digue.
    • By bus: From Lille-Flandres station, ligne C2 (La Citadine), stop at “Université Catholique” (Boulevard Vauban) – this is more direct than using the metro to get to the university.
    • By car:
      • If you come from Paris (Motorway A1), from Gand (A22) or from Bruxelles (A 27) take the ring motorway, direction Dunkerque. Take exit 4
      • If you come from Dunkerque (A25), take the exit number 5e. Vous êtes arrivé rue de la Digue.