Over the next three years, Laidlaw plans to donate $1.9 million in order to finance 10 women of lesser means through a full-tuition scholarship program.
The key aim of the Laidlaw Foundation is to increase the representation and power of women in business. One of the main tactics to achieve this is by supporting women in graduate business programs.
HEC Paris is the third European business school to partner with the fund, after the UK's London Business School and Oxford Said Business School earlier announced partnerships.
Just this fall, Oxford Said became the first top European b-school to achieve gender parity in its enrolling MBA class for 2024, with 51% of the cohort identifying as female.
Currently, the only other two global business schools that have achieved gender parity in their classes are The University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, which enrolled 52% women in 2018, and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which has enrolled at least 50% women over the past three years.
HEC Paris’ incoming MBA class of 2024 is only 42% female, while over the previous five years it has hovered between 31% and 34%, according to the Financial Times.
Although achieving gender parity isn’t a strict goal for the school, it would be a welcome outcome, the school says.
Sara Vanos, executive director of marketing and admissions for MBA programs at HEC Paris, says, “We want to make an MBA accessible to as many people as possible.”
For the scholarship, the school is currently seeking female candidates who excel both professionally and academically, and who may not traditionally be on the MBA track.
As part of the scholarship, successful students also have access to a mentorship program, which includes lifelong career support, HEC Paris alumni networking, as well as access to a series of seminars, workshops, and events dedicated to fostering their professional development.
The Laidlaw Scholars program exists in conjunction with other efforts on behalf of HEC to promote gender equality. Over 70% of women in the January 2024 intake were awarded the HEC Paris Excellence scholarship, and it is also a member of the Forte Foundation, which provides fellowships to outstanding women in business.
