Student perspectives on the EMMI–LSM collaboration

Samuel Georges and Lucile Haslé, students from UCLouvain

As part of the collaboration between the European Money Markets Institute (EMMI) and the Louvain School of Management (LSM) at UCLouvain, students worked on real-life consulting projects from September to December 2025.

Samuel Georges and Lucile Haslé, two students from UCLouvain, worked on a project focused on integrating sustainability into EMMI’s corporate culture. The experience gave them valuable insight into the organisation’s activities and the realities of implementation. As Samuel explains, it was “a great opportunity to work on a real case and understand how an organisation like EMMI operates.” For Lucile, the project was particularly meaningful, as it allowed her to “contribute to a project linked to sustainability in a real organisational context.”

From discovery to engagement

Assigned to the project as part of their programme, both students approached the experience with curiosity and a strong willingness to learn. Samuel was keen to better understand EMMI’s activities and how the organisation operates, while Lucile was especially interested in engaging with professionals and exploring how strategic topics are addressed in practice. As she notes, she valued “exchanging with professionals on concrete challenges.”

Turning theory into action

Working on a real consulting assignment moved them beyond academic concepts and into practical challenges. They quickly realised that implementation is often more complex than theory suggests, especially when it comes to changing behaviours and organisational culture. As Lucile points out, “shifting habits and organisational culture is much more complex than what we study in theory.”

At the same time, a structured approach proved essential. As Samuel explains, “developing a roadmap helped us translate theory into practice, by identifying concrete steps and estimating the time required,” while also helping them assess the feasibility of their ideas.

Learning through constraints

One of the main challenges was balancing theoretical knowledge with practical feasibility, particularly given limited access to internal information and stakeholders. This required a more structured and pragmatic approach. As Samuel notes, they had to “find practical ideas without relying too much on theory, despite limited access to information.”

They also emphasise the importance of staying within scope while ensuring that their recommendations remained realistic and tailored to EMMI’s context—an exercise that closely mirrors real-world consulting constraints. As Lucile explains, it was essential to “propose solutions that could genuinely be implemented.”

A collaborative and enriching experience

The project also stood out for its collaborative dimension. As part of the Louvain School of Management’s Beyond Competition initiative, Samuel Georges and Lucile Haslé worked alongside students from other Belgian universities, bringing additional perspectives to their work. As Lucile highlights, “working with students from different backgrounds helped broaden our approach.”

Throughout the four-month project, EMMI closely supported the group through regular exchanges and feedback, helping to guide their work and ensure its relevance.

Skills for the future

Beyond technical knowledge, the experience helped them develop key professional skills. These included stakeholder management, the ability to integrate feedback into their work, and effective time management while balancing academic and project commitments. As Samuel explains, they learned how to “align different perspectives and take feedback into account to strengthen the final output.”

Looking ahead

Reflecting on the experience, both students encourage future participants to fully engage with the opportunity by asking questions, deepening their understanding of the organisation, and going beyond minimum requirements. As Lucile puts it, “don’t hesitate to go a step further and really try to understand the organisation you are working with.”

Their experience illustrates how collaborations between EMMI and the Louvain School of Management can bridge the gap between theory and practice, equipping students with both the mindset and the skills needed to navigate complex professional environments. As Samuel concludes, the project gave them “a much clearer view of what working on real projects actually means.”