Adam Belhadi, a curriculum combining study and top-level sport

Why did you choose EDHEC International BBA programme?

I chose the French EDHEC International BBA track as my course primarily because of its reputation, but also because of the «learning by doing» aspect. After high school, I wanted to find a more hands-on learning option. Both the courses and my involvement in associations convinced me that I’d made the right choice. Having to do an internship at the end of each year is also a real bonus, and for me, applying what you’ve learnt at EDHEC in the corporate world is the most enriching part of our course.

What sports do you do?

I've been playing football since I was 5 years old as a left winger and was lucky enough to be able to follow a sports-based curriculum in high school. I play for a regional league division club in the north of France. I'm also a member of the EDHEC football team, and it's always a real pleasure to represent my school! The advantage of being part of the university team is that I can play with students from both the BBA and from the Grande École programme. That means we often get to talk about football, of course, but also about our different courses.

How do you manage to combine sport and study?

It's true that combining sport and study isn't always easy, but fortunately I learned how to do it in high school. I can't go to all my team's training sessions because it's about 2 hours from Lille, but I make up for it by training with the university team. We’ve also got sports facilities available on campus which are great and keep me in fit so I can perform well during my weekend matches. As far as the workload is concerned, I organise things so that I have as little work as possible over the weekend.

What values do you think sport and the EDHEC International BBA programme have in common?

EDHEC Business School shares common values with sport, and two in particular come to mind. First, excellence: EDHEC is a demanding school, where you always have to be at the top of the game. In sport, it's the same: if you're not good during training, you won't be selected for competitions. Then there's the team spirit: there's a lot of group work in the BBA programme, so it's important to know how to work as part of a team.

What’s next?

In my third year, I’ve decided to specialise in the International Business Track, with a view to moving into the supply chain in my final year of the BBA. At the end of my second year, I'm heading for Vietnam to do a supply chain internship. I hope this experience will consolidate my career plan, and I'm sure it will improve my language skills.