Karim Dehimi, ‘educational entrepreneur’ and Deputy Director of the Université Wesford, Geneva, spoke enthusiastically about the recent FEDE General Assembly. Read our interview with him below.

Can you tell us about your education?

I have a Master’s in Management Sciences (Université Pierre Mendes-France, Grenoble) and have also successfully completed a course in quality management (Institut Optimum, Switzerland).

What have been the highlights of your career?

I began my career in education after working for many years in industry (with a focus on precision mechanics). I set up my first educational institution in Annecy in 2006. For over 13 years I’ve also managed holding companies and higher educational institutions. And I teach management and business administration for companies and craft trades chambers.

What is your current job role?

I’m director of two education and training centres, one in Lyon and one in Saint-Genis-Pouilly.
The centres offer BTS [a French post-secondary qualification], bachelor’s, MBA and DBA courses in management, administration, human resources, finance and marketing. We are developing our activity internationally (recruitment and internships) and have a large number of international students from Algeria, Morocco and Great Britain. I am also deputy director of the Université Wesford, Geneva.

What was your experience of the General Assembly in Malaga?

The 2019 General Assembly took place in the beautiful city of Malaga. It was a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was friendly and professional, and every day was as busy as it was pleasurable. In keeping with the FEDE’s image as a dynamic network of institutions, the assembly brought together institutions from Morocco, France, Switzerland, the Ivory Coast and many other countries. The academic dating event and the conferences/workshops were an excellent opportunity for institutions to meet one another. There was also meeting with the Mayor of Malaga and a reception at the Chamber of Commerce. Overall: three intense, action-packed days.