But what becomes of them? Rabih Haddad tells us about his career as well as his role as head of international division of Epita

Rabih Haddad you were the director of the international program of Epita for 10 years and have worked there since its inception. You have seen it grow and evolve to now offer various IT courses recognized in Europe.

How did your professional path lead you to Epita?

Rabih Haddad : After an engineer diploma specializing in electrical engineering obtained in 2002 at the University of Balamand in Lebanon, I continued my studies in France with a master's degree in Management of Information Systems at EPITA (2011). At the end of my studies at EPITA, I joined the company Integration-IMC to become a project manager.

In 2012, I was appointed deputy director of international relations at EPITA then director of international programs in 2016. At the same time, I decided to continue my studies and obtained a doctorate in computer science in 2021 from the University of Reims in Champagne-Ardenne.

After 10 years at EPITA, I decided to join Paris School of Business in October 2022 as Dean of International Relations.

The international department of Epita is often unknown to Alumni, can you tell us in a few lines about the different challenges you have accomplished over the past 10 years?

Rabih Haddad :  My main missions during the last 10 years have been :

• Create, manage and develop 5 international master's programs and 1 Bachelor's degree program totaling a number of 1,000 students from 40 different nationalities
  
  
• Set up an admissions system and a CRM tool to ensure the management of the various promotions but also the management of applications from international students.
  
  
• Create a FLE (Français Langue Etrangère) “Welcome to France” center with a 3-star label, to help internationals joining EPITA to learn French.
  
  
• Develop and adapt the concept of an offshore campus and relocation of master's programs and preparatory cycles. But also, to develop an international academic partnership network for student mobility.
  
  
• And many other things…

You left the management of the international department at the beginning of September to join another school as Dean of the international pole. A page is turning in your career, what are the highlights you remember from Epita?

Rabih Haddad : The strongest and most unforgettable moments that I remember are the 10 graduation ceremonies where I pronounced the names of the 1000 new international graduates of EPITA.

Stéphanie Châtelet has replaced you at your post since your departure. What are the guidelines for the development of the international department that you agreed on before your departure?

Rabih Haddad : We agreed together that the objective for the next 3 years would be to stabilize the recently created programs and continue to diversify the presence of international students on campus.

We wish you good luck for your new position and thank you for this interview.