Terrorist attack sparks academic controversy

Following the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, tensions arose between HEC Paris and one of its major financial donors over a statement made by a professor. The issue also raised questions about the school's partnerships with Gulf monarchies.

Alumnus condemns professor's remarks

Adrien Nussenbaum, a graduate of HEC Paris and founder of the French unicorn Mirakl, wrote an email to the school's communications director in which he called Alberto Alemanno, a law professor at HEC Paris, a "big antisemitic piece of shit" and demanded his immediate suspension. The message referred to a tweet Alemanno had posted the day after the October 7 attack, in which he described the assault as a "rising of colonized people."

Professor's explanation and email content

Alemanno stated he was "horrified by the attacks on Israel but deeply embarrassed by the EU's partial support for Israel in the context of the Hamas attacks." The email from Nussenbaum, obtained by StreetPress, included threats to suspend donations to HEC Paris if the school did not "officially take a position on this professor and on the fascist antisemitic delusions of students under the guise of romantic anticolonialist revolutionary fantasies."

Internal discussions on handling the issue

In the email chain that followed, Joséphine Haquet, HEC Paris communications director, forwarded the message to the director general and two other executives, commenting that Nussenbaum "is going a bit too far" and that Alemanno "made a mistake." Éloïc Peyrache, director of HEC Paris, recommended "bringing out all of Alberto's statements to have a comprehensive image" and suggested "opening a crisis cell" because the situation "could escalate to asking that he be fired."

Faculty's response and academic freedom

Andrea Masini, dean of the faculty and research, noted that "for there to be sanctions, there must be a violation of our regulations and code of ethics, and the convocation of an academic disciplinary council. A legal opinion seems essential." He added, "I find it disturbing that alumni feel entitled to demand someone's head without debate and without giving them the opportunity to defend themselves."

HEC Paris investigates and reaffirms values

HEC Paris stated it had thoroughly examined Alemanno's statements "to determine if they could constitute a criminal offense," emphasizing that this was done "independently of any supposed external pressure." The school also mentioned that it had investigated Alemanno's previous statements and concluded that they "in no way engaged the responsibility of HEC Paris." No sanctions were imposed on Alemanno, and the school reiterated "the notion of academic freedom as a founding value of the school."

Alumnus criticizes HEC's response

Nussenbaum later published a LinkedIn post titled "I won't give up," in which he denounced "the unacceptable silence and weak position" of HEC Paris. This post gained attention, and in June 2024, Nussenbaum was the guest of honor at the school's graduation ceremony. Éloïc Peyrache honored him on stage, announcing that the school was working to welcome "as soon as possible two young talents Imagine Fellows, one from Gaza and the other from Israel."

Financial ties to Gulf countries

Nussenbaum's email also pointed to verified information since uncovered by StreetPress: "Qatar and Saudi Arabia have infiltrated our economies and now our schools," wrote the entrepreneur. Despite the conspiratorial tone of the sentence, the two countries are indeed present in HEC's financial organizational chart, without having ever caused the same level of concern on the part of the administration as Alemanno's tweet.

HEC's partnerships with Gulf states

Between 2021 and 2024, HEC Paris announced the creation of a new research chair titled "Business Models For The Circular Economy," fully funded by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, a Saudi fund directly linked to the royal power. This fund has been boycotted by half of Wall Street following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Yasser Al-Rumayyan, who heads the FII and the Saudi Sovereign Fund, also presides over Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, which has been cited by the UN for its major role in climate change.

Qatar's influence on HEC Paris

Qatar, on the other hand, does not have a chair named after it; its influence is higher up in HEC's organizational chart. In 2010, HEC Paris "joined the Qatar Foundation" and opened a campus in Doha. This organization is founded and chaired by the ruling family of the country, which has long housed the political office of Hamas. This partnership was renewed for 10 years in November 2024, in the presence of Éloïc Peyrache. Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, vice president of the Qatar Foundation and sister of the reigning emir, also sits on the international advisory board of HEC Paris. She too attended the prestigious business school. Another agreement, signed in August 2021, links HEC Paris to the Qatar Financial Centre Authority, the country's public financial regulator. In exchange, the organization obtains discounted rates for its employees on the school's Executive MBA.