ESCP launches its Executive Master in Strategy and Defence Studies
The School of Special Forces is supporting ESCP, one of Europe's leading management schools, with six European campuses and ranked among the very best on the continent, in introducing the participants of its Executive Master in Strategy and Defence Studies to the culture and mindset of the special forces, blending boldness, innovation and resilience.
A school of excellence
Founded in 1819, ESCP is the world's oldest business school. European by nature, it now operates across six campuses, in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw, and regularly ranks among the best European business schools in international rankings, including the Financial Times. It brings together students and executives from more than 200 nationalities and runs a network of tens of thousands of alumni around the world.
The Executive Master in Strategy and Defence Studies
In an environment marked by uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, ESCP is launching a new programme, the Executive Master in Strategy and Defence Studies, designed in partnership with Groupe ADIT. It trains leaders able to understand security and sovereignty challenges, anticipate crises and decide under uncertainty. Running for 15 months on a part-time basis and delivered on the Paris Montparnasse campus, its first intake starts on 14 October 2026. The programme is led academically by Bastian Dufilhol.
A (rtd) general officer of the French Army, Bastian Dufilhol is Executive Director of ESCP's Dubai Branch Campus and a permanent affiliate professor at the school. An engineer, a graduate of the War College and of ESSEC Business School, and holder of a PhD in political science, he has led the Strategy course cycle at CHEM (Centre des Hautes Études Militaires) since 2024.
The ARXIBALD immersion
For 48 hours, participants are immersed in the world of the special forces and discover the three founding pillars and the management principles that flow from them.
1. "The man is the regiment and the regiment is the man" (« L'homme, c'est le régiment ; le régiment, c'est l'homme »).
Placing people before purely technical skills creates the conditions for trust and makes decentralised decision-making possible.
2. "Who Dares Wins" (« Qui ose gagne »).
Boldness is not a temperament, it is a method of reasoning. Mastering the special forces' method of reasoning makes it possible to discern and decide simply within complexity, with very little information available.
3. "The never-ending pursuit of excellence" (« La recherche incessante de l'excellence »).
Outstanding, lasting performance rests on a culture of continuous improvement: after-action reviews at every level, and constant self-questioning where ego has no place.
Nearly ten instructors, all from the special forces, are mobilised for this immersion.
Bringing special forces methods to your teams
ARXIBALD transposes to executives the leadership, decision-making and resilience proven by the special forces, in tailor-made training and seminars.
Talk with ARXIBALD →A shared conviction
In a world of constant transformation, the methods of the special forces, proven in the most demanding environments and situations, have every place. That is the meaning of this partnership between the world's oldest business school and ARXIBALD, the brand-new school of the special forces, to build "the special forces of our economy".
A few places remain: it is still possible to register for the Executive Master via the link below.
Discover the programme and register for the ESCP Executive Master →