‘Go West’ and study at Rennes School of Business!
Top of the league tables when it comes to quality of life at home and work alike, the capital of Brittany also has all the attractions of a student city…and much more besides! Read on to find out more.
Rennes has been France’s undisputed champion city for a number of years now. In the latest 2020 league table of the most appealing places to live in France jointly published by RegionsJob and Hays, Rennes came out top for the quality of life it offers its residents and its dynamic jobs market. It was also ranked second for its thriving economy and third for living costs and quality infrastructure. It is also one of the top five cities for ‘leisure, culture and the environment’.
Rennes: a city where life is sweet!
As well as being named the most appealing city overall, Rennes is also the city that is most likely to be recommended by its inhabitants.
Located 90 minutes from Paris and less than an hour away from the coast, Rennes is the highest-ranking French city for quality of life in Europe, with the biggest proportion of happy residents. It is also renowned for its wealth of cultural activities and rich heritage.
Its geography gives it a real advantage because it has links to several major cities, including Paris (which is just 1 hour 25 minutes away on the high-speed rail line), Nantes, Le Mans and Bordeaux. Its airport also makes it a gateway to the rest of France, Europe and beyond. It is also just a 1 hour 15-minute drive away from Nantes Airport, which flies to lots of overseas destinations.
A decidedly green city, Rennes was named one of France’s top 10 leafiest towns in 2020 by nosvillesvertes.fr. The latest Palmarès des Villes Vertes (or ‘Green City Awards’) also ranked it sixth out of France’s 50 biggest urban areas.
Rennes: a dynamic employment scene, ranging from agribusiness to digital technology
As the capital of one of France’s most dynamic regions, Rennes is the beating heart of the Breton economy. A leading business-friendly city with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, it is more than capable of attracting top talent to its many key sectors.
Quality of life, economic dynamism and willingness to welcome new companies all make Rennes particularly attractive from a business perspective. The Baromètre Arthur Loyd 2019 league table used criteria such as economic performance, the services sector, connectivity, innovation and quality of life to assess 45 towns and cities. Rennes secured the number two spot in the French rankings for its highly varied range of outstanding industries focussing on cutting-edge areas such as digital technology, cybersecutoprity, healthcare and agrifood.
It is no coincidence that Rennes School of Business has made agribusiness one of its key areas of expertise as, every year, its home city plays host to the internationally renowned farming trade show known as ‘Space’. The Breton capital’s Couvent des Jacobins venue will also welcome the Organic World Congress 2021 (also known as “OWC2020” and originally scheduled for this year).
Young graduates looking to start their career should know that Rennes is among the top 10 cities in Europe for employee satisfaction and, in 2019, L’Express magazine named it the fifth best city for entrepreneurs in its Palmarès des Villes où il Fait Bon Entreprendre awards (cities to start a business).
Rennes: an affordable student city
Brittany’s capital came in fourth place in L’Etudiant’s 2019-2020 student city rankings for a whole host of reasons, including its dynamic jobs market, low unemployment rates and growing student population. For its students, Rennes has even introduced a scheme called Sortir !, which features a special online portal and three days of events to welcome them to the city. The Rennes School of Business community, from the staff to clubs and the student union, makes a point of personally welcoming its incoming French and international students at the start of each academic year.
The city is easy to travel around thanks to its excellent public transport network, which includes a metro and bus links. Unlike many business schools, Rennes School of Business’ campus has the advantage of being in the city itself, rather than on the outskirts. The city center is thus just a 10-minute bus ride from campus. With its 600 km of cycle paths and Vélostar bike hire scheme, Rennes has opted for environmentally friendly mobility options, with special discounts for students. All of these initiatives have helped to make Rennes France’s third most bike-friendly city (according to the Palmarès des Villes Cyclables en France).
In terms of accommodation, one of the best things about Rennes is its range of reasonably priced studio flats to rent. To support its students, Rennes School of Business provides a student residence as well as its own online accommodation portal, where you can look for all kinds of private rentals, from studio apartments to flat shares and lodgers’ rooms, and request personal guidance throughout the renting process.
The only thing students might not love about Rennes is its sunshine quota! It’s true that you can’t have everything – but be wary of any clichés you might hear, as Brittany’s oceanic climate is nothing if not variable, and the weather in Saint-Brieuc isn’t the same as the weather in Brest, Vannes or Saint-Malo. You’ll also get a very different experience depending on whether you live inland or on the coast. Generally speaking, however, Brittany’s climate is pretty mild in both summer and winter.
- Would you like to find out more about Rennes? For more information, visit tourisme-rennes.com/en
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(Traduction by InPuzzle)
