Following the successful launch of research centers in Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires, HBS has opened the European Research Center (ERC) in Paris. With Vincent Dessain (MBA '87) serving as executive director, the ERC will continue the School's initiative to increase the diversity, impact, and visibility of HBS international research efforts. Dessain, who speaks five languages, has extensive experience in business and higher education throughout Europe, most recently as a senior director in charge of managing corporate relationships at INSEAD.

"One of the most important issues for an academic institution, and a business school in particular, is to be at a state-of-the-art level in research and case writing," notes Dessain, who visited the HBS campus in November. "In order to achieve that level of excellence, it's essential to support faculty in creating intellectual capital, particularly when that work involves an international dimension. We want the ERC to provide a complete infrastructure for faculty so that they can develop cases in the most favorable conditions possible."

HBS professor Dwight B. Crane, chair of the European Research Initiative, highlighted some of the region's business issues and the research opportunities they present. "The integration of Europe is leading companies to devote more attention to their pan-European strategy," says Crane. "Cross-border mergers, for example, have increased significantly within Europe, and firms are grappling with the need to integrate multiple cultures in their management structure. The introduction of the Euro has also had a strong impact both on corporate finance and, not surprisingly, on the strategy of banking institutions." Comparing business differences across regions can also be instructive, Crane adds. "In the telecommunications arena, for instance, the European market is more focused on wireless devices than is the case in the United States, so the technology industry is evolving in distinct ways."

The ERC's development of research and case-writing opportunities at a wide range of organizations and across a broad geographical area will further strengthen the depth and diversity of the HBS curriculum, says Dessain, who is eager to work with the School's faculty. "When I studied at HBS, I enjoyed the wonderful relationships I had with my classmates, of course, but also with many of my professors," he remarks. "To have the opportunity to work with them to enrich the School's case studies and course development is a challenge I look forward to very much."

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