What are the advantages of an international career in the horse industry for higher education? In this first portrait in our series on UniLaSalle Rouen employees, we present Camille Eslan, pedagogical coordinator of the MESB Advanced-Master® program, whose atypical career path is just as motivating as the program she leads.
Camille Eslan: From the Olympic arena to the classroom
Camille Eslan is no stranger to challenges. Before settling down at UniLaSalle Rouen, she worked for over 20 years in the equestrian sector, both in France and abroad. Among her various experiences, she was a riding instructor, educational coordinator at the CFA dedicated to the horse trades in Laval, and training manager for riding instructors (BPJEPS). Her experience has taken her to the four corners of the globe: England, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, the United States... In other words, the word “international” doesn't scare her!
“When I saw the job offer for the position of coordinator of the MESB Advanced-Master® at UniLaSalle, with its missions, international dimension and English-speaking program, I thought it was written for me,” says Camille with a smile. “It's a unique course in France, and I wanted to share my experience and my network with students looking to enter the industry. That was all it took to convince Camille to pack her bags and leave the sunny south for beautiful Normandy!
The first year of the MESB Advanced-Master's program
On September 16, 2024, UniLaSalle Rouen will welcome its first class of MS MESB students. This training program, formerly offered at the Institut Agro Dijon, is now established in Normandy, the land of horses par excellence.
In her role as teaching coordinator, Camille has a clear mission: to organize the first intake of MESB students. This means finding the best lecturers, managing budgets, and ensuring that the training meets the real needs of the industry. To achieve this, she is supported by Hippolia, the equine industry's competitiveness cluster and a major partner in the training program.
Camille is also working to ensure that the course is recognized both nationally and internationally. Firstly, this involves obtaining accreditation (CGE obtained in March 2024 and RNCP recognition in progress), then partnerships. Links with Kentucky have been maintained since the days of the Institut Agro Dijon, and recently, IFCE, the French Horse and Riding Institute, agreed to join the adventure!
Olympic experience also in teaching
Camille's schedule is always busy! In parallel with her mission, Camille is also an international equestrian competition official (steward in the business). And this year, she was lucky enough to be part of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games teams! What's her role in a nutshell? To guarantee animal welfare and the smooth running of the events. “My role at the Olympics was to make sure that every competitor was in the right place at the right time, no matter what the hazards, so that the broadcast on screens and television was successful and everything went as smoothly as possible for the horses,” she explains. A mission of precision and coordination, and an experience at the heart of an event unique in France, for which Camille measures her good fortune to have been chosen by the organizers.
And even at the Olympic Games, Camille is thinking of MESB! Our educational coordinator has had the opportunity to present the course to foreign delegations, and even among the volunteers, she has met people interested in the master's degree. “The Games are an event that puts us in direct contact with the elite of the horse world. So it's obviously a valuable asset for our training, and we've had some very positive exchanges as a result, with new projects underway with foreign organizations”, she explains.
Her best memory of the Olympics
“It's hard to choose, but there are two things that particularly impressed me. I was given a unique role: to accompany the bronze medallists into the arena. Being at the heart of the event, with the Château de Versailles as a backdrop, was magical! And when the team leaders came to thank you for all your hard work in such an intense atmosphere, you knew you were part of something extraordinary. I think it's a memory that will stay with you forever."
Concrete job opportunities for graduates
The MESB Advanced-Master® Program doesn't just train managers: it opens the door to a wide range of careers. Camille likes to cite the example of a former student of the MESB in Dijon: initially a data analyst, she followed this training before setting up her own company dedicated to data analysis for racehorses, to optimize their performance. “UniLaSalle has been supporting student-entrepreneurs for several years, so it was essential to bring this added value to the program to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in the equine industry,” she explains.
Graduates may also consider managerial roles in veterinary clinics, insemination centers or stud farms, as well as project management positions for large-scale equestrian events. Depending on your training, experience and opportunities, you'll find a wide range of outlets on graduating from MESB.
Towards a more structured, sustainable equestrian future
For Camille, UniLaSalle's MESB is much more than a training program: it has a key role to play in structuring the equine industry. “We want future managers to play an active role in improving the organization of the industry, by promoting collaboration and cross-disciplinary skills,” she explains. The program also places particular emphasis on sustainability.
In particular, it includes contributions from EQUURES label teams to find sustainable farming systems, in terms of animal welfare, natural resources and well-being at work. In this way, the Equine Master's program prepares its graduates to become leaders who are aware of today's challenges, and capable of moving the industry towards a more ethical and sustainable future.
This portrait of Camille Eslan is only the first in a series that will highlight the talents and career paths of UniLaSalle Rouen's employees. As a pillar of the MESB Advanced-Master® program, Camille perfectly embodies the alliance between professional expertise and innovative teaching methods, a major asset for our students and for the future of the equestrian industry.
