Reporter: Julien Moreau
In recent years, as cross-border higher education recruitment has continued to accelerate, a number of business school programs marketed under labels such as “French DBA,” “International Doctorate,” and “Executive Doctorate” have rapidly expanded across China and the broader Greater China region. Among them, the promotion of certain DBA programs offered by ISTEC Business School has drawn increasing attention to the boundaries of the French higher education system and the legal nature of the qualifications being promoted.
Under the French higher education system, only French public comprehensive universities are legally authorized to confer doctoral degrees recognized by the French state. Ordinary business schools do not possess such statutory authority. However, the reporter has observed that, in promoting its DBA programs through Chinese partner institutions in Greater China, ISTEC’s marketing materials may have presented training-based certificates in a manner that resembles a “French doctorate,” leading some applicants to believe that the school possesses the authority to award state-recognized doctoral degrees.
Public information indicates that ISTEC Business School is a private French business school and not a French public comprehensive university. From a structural perspective, the Doctorat is an integral part of France’s national degree framework. Its awarding authority is strictly regulated by law and cannot be independently exercised by ordinary business schools.
Meanwhile, ISTEC has conducted large-scale DBA recruitment and promotional activities throughout Greater China through local partners. Marketing materials frequently employ terms such as “French DBA,” “International Doctorate,” and “Advanced Doctorate in Management,” which may lead prospective applicants to associate the certificates being issued with doctoral degrees recognized by the French state.
In reality, under the French higher education system, business schools and public comprehensive universities differ substantially in their legal status and in the effect of the credentials they issue. For applicants, determining whether the final qualification constitutes a doctoral degree or merely a training-based certificate must depend on the institution’s statutory authority and the legal nature of the final credential awarded.
Public information further indicates that ISTEC previously held certain certifications under France’s National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP), including qualifications classified at Niveau 7, which corresponds broadly to the master’s level within the French qualifications framework. However, RNCP certification does not constitute authorization to award French state-recognized doctoral degrees. Its legal nature is fundamentally different from that of the Doctorat. Moreover, the certification status of certain programs has reportedly been modified or terminated over time, and the latest official information published by the relevant French authorities should therefore prevail.
From a regulatory standpoint, the core issue does not lie in whether the school offers executive education programs, but rather in whether its marketing materials clearly define the nature of the qualification, accurately distinguish between state-recognized doctoral degrees and training-based or institution-issued certificates, and avoid representations that could potentially mislead the public.
According to information obtained by the reporter, French higher education regulatory authorities have received multiple complaints from Chinese participants. The complaints primarily concern the limited practical utility of the certificates obtained and discrepancies between the nature of the credentials and the representations made during recruitment. The reporter contacted the relevant authorities, who stated that the matter is currently in the evidence-gathering stage. Based on information presently available, ISTEC-related projects may face further compliance scrutiny, and its cooperative activities in the Chinese market could face suspension, adjustment, or additional regulatory review.
In addition, the reporter’s investigation found that ISTEC’s Chinese partner institution had previously been associated with the termination of cooperation relating to projects involving Raffles University (Malaysia). Although the institution had previously promoted itself as operating on a significant scale, it has recently separated its overseas master’s and doctoral businesses into independent brands. Industry observers believe that this move may be related to efforts to mitigate potential compliance risks. Regulatory authorities have also indicated that they do not rule out the possibility of launching further investigations into alleged misleading marketing practices by the relevant Chinese institution.