Jean Fossiez : ‘The FEDE DBA vehicles my ongoing desire for personal growth’

  • Can you tell us about your previous studies?

I have an engineering degree in agriculture from the Institut Supérieur en Agriculture, Lille; it’s a background that has given me a critical approach to practical and concrete issues.

  • What have been the highlights of your professional career so far?

I initially worked in the supermarket sector (1986 to 1998). In 1998 I decided to start a career in education, and this turned out to be my true vocation. Nonetheless, I’ve maintained a keen interest in my initial area of expertise – agriculture. Since 1998 I’ve worked as an instructor in various educational institutions. That’s how I came to hear of the FEDE DBA, which is offered to students at some of my institutions.

  • Why did you decide to enrol in a DBA?

I’d been planning to enrol in a DBA for some time, so when I discovered the FEDE programme I leapt on the opportunity. The FEDE DBA vehicles my ongoing desire for personal growth – a way of taking on ever more stimulating professional and personal challenges. Indeed, if they are to prosper in a complex world and a highly competitive professional environment, businesses and organisations need leaders with interdisciplinary knowledge, the ability to think internationally and the brainpower necessary to design systems that will shape the future and match the latest social trends. As a doctoral student, I intend to demonstrate that grey matter is an incontestable asset for contemporary and future organisations. My thesis, which aims to find a way to promote the rich output of French agriculture, will, I hope, meet all the requirements of the DBA.

  • What has been your experience of the two years you’ve spent at the FEDE Doctoral School?

It’s not easy to plan and produce a DBA thesis. You need a lot of time and you need to learn how to find and process information. You also need to be highly organised. One thing is certain, however: when it comes to writing a thesis, the pleasure of conducting research and making discoveries far outweighs the minor obstacles along the way (feeling discouraged, feeling stuck). I’m currently facing a new challenge: overcoming my impatience to defend my thesis – I need to finish it first!