Citizen Students
In Conversation with Aymeric Marmorat.
Aymeric Marmorat has spent over two decades empowering young people to address social and environmental challenges. As Executive Director of the Bachelor ACT programme, he leads a multidisciplinary initiative that blends theory, practical learning, and hands-on experience to prepare students to become leaders of change and engagement. Previously, Aymeric co-founded La Ruche and led Enactus France. He is also a member of the Engagement Committee for Investir&+, an impact investment fund, and serves as a Board Member for several NGOs.
For Aymeric, institutions, particularly those in higher education, play a pivotal role in promoting a culture of engagement. These institutions are responsible not only for providing academic training but also for preparing students to become active, informed citizens who can contribute to society.
Beyond career preparation, Aymeric emphasises the importance of equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for active citizenship, including an understanding of civic responsibilities, governmental institutions, and democratic processes. He believes that schools and governments must bridge this gap by fostering trust in democratic processes and encouraging active participation, serving as catalysts for collective engagement.
Achieving Change at Scale
Launched in 2021, the Bachelor ACT programme is a collaboration between ESSEC Business School and CY Cergy Paris Université, a partnership conceived in 2017 to position western Île-de-France as a hub for academic excellence with a focus on ecological and social responsibility.
Aymeric’s vision for the programme was shaped by his experience as director of Enactus France, where he guided over 10,000 students in creating socially impactful projects. While successful, the work highlighted a deeper challenge: the shortage of social entrepreneurs and the need for a fundamental shift in education. He recognised that true systemic change required reimagining education systems that could teach the skills and mindset needed to develop future engaged, responsible leaders.
As a result, when Anne-Claire Pache, ESSEC’s Associate Dean for Strategy and Sustainability, set out to design a programme fostering engaged leadership, Aymeric embraced the opportunity to empower current and future generations as active agents of social and environmental transformation.
A Comprehensive Approach to Complex Challenges
The Bachelor ACT curriculum spans four levels of analysis, integrating critical thinking, research methodologies, and practical tools like data analysis, project management, and advocacy. The Earth System level covers environmental science, focusing on climate and biodiversity systems before addressing issues like climate change. The Societal level explores inequalities, political systems, and institutional frameworks to understand socio-political dynamics. The Organisational level examines governance, management science, and organisational sociology, while the Individual level delves into human behaviour, cognitive biases, and personal motivation for change through psychology and cognitive sciences.
What sets the programme apart is its emphasis on practical learning. Students engage directly with real-world challenges through projects that integrate academic theory with practical application. Aymeric cites a project on water management in the Oise region, where students collaborate with local stakeholders facing water management challenges to analyse problems, propose solutions, and develop prototypes.
During the project, students leverage knowledge from nearly every class, including environmental science, urban planning, sociological research, service design, political science, storytelling, and advocacy.
Overcoming Barriers to Engagement
One common challenge Aymeric observes among students is a sense of paralysis in the face of global issues such as climate change, often manifesting as anxiety or feelings of powerlessness. The Bachelor ACT programme helps students differentiate between their “sphere of concern” and their “sphere of influence.” Students build confidence through hands-on involvement in real-life projects and exposure to “everyday heroes” who serve as role models.
For Aymeric, fostering engagement also involves helping students align their personal talents and motivations with societal needs. He believes that a sense of purpose emerges when individuals connect their personal talents and skills with the causes they care about. Often, this alignment begins with emotional connections to issues of injustice or through impactful experiences that resonate deeply with one’s values or experience. These feelings drive students to act rather than stay passive.
Students are also motivated by their values, with engagement serving as a path to defend and express them within a community of like- minded individuals. Aymeric observes that by connecting with others who share similar aspirations, students not only find meaning in a cause but also shape their identity and long-term purpose.
The Growing Importance of “Flash Engagement”
The rise of social media and new technologies has transformed the engagement landscape. Platforms like X (Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok have become essential tools for mobilising large numbers of people quickly. However, Aymeric also points out the challenges, including how the spread of misinformation and manipulation of digital content can undermine genuine engagement, creating an environment where truth is often distorted.
One noticeable evolution in engagement is the rise of “flash activism,” or quick, intense participation in causes like protests or viral campaigns. While this type of engagement boosts awareness and participation, it contrasts with the ongoing effort required for genuine, long-term societal change. Real transformation needs ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and compromise, which are often lost in the fast-paced, fleeting nature of online activism.
At the same time, Aymeric recognises that young people are reclaiming political issues, forming opinions, mobilising, and building communities. He emphasises that today’s youth are more aware of societal issues than ever before, and this awareness, along with new methods of engagement, is shaping their approach to participation and commitment to social change. Despite the challenges posed by online activism, Aymeric remains optimistic about how these platforms are being used to foster engagement and active participation in political and social issues.
Owning the Political Dimension of Change
Aymeric cautions against viewing activists as the sole drivers of change or creating a hierarchy of causes. Personal motivations vary, and it’s challenging to convince someone struggling financially to prioritise the long-term impacts of climate change.
From a systemic perspective, Aymeric advocates for a meta- approach to engagement, which has the potential to drive broader transformation. This approach transcends activism and applies equally to mainstream organisations shaping the societies in which they operate.
Owning the political aspect of decision-making is crucial, particularly as forces undermining the social contract gain traction. Aymeric highlights the rise of extreme conservative movements in Western democracies, promoting liberal economics, climate scepticism, and individualism, as a troubling trend pushing for deregulation and dismantling social safety nets.
Aymeric urges us to examine the ideological foundations of core democratic institutions like education and media. In this cultural struggle, his goal through the Bachelor ACT programme is not merely to foster activists but to cultivate informed citizens who take responsibility for their choices and communities.
Centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson argued that education was vital to democracy’s success. While the focus of education has evolved, the principle remains unchanged. Aymeric and the Bachelor ACT programme embody this timeless relevance, addressing today’s urgent needs with profound urgency.
Interview by Mana Thion, 12/2024.