You moved from human resources to management at renowned digital schools. What attracted you to higher education and teaching digital professions?
I have always believed that transforming an organisation begins with transforming individuals. Human resources has taught me to understand talent, what drives people and what they aspire to. Higher education has allowed me to go further: to support them in their development, right from their early years. At IIM Digital School, I find this combination of meaning, innovation and transmission. Technology is transforming our lives and our professions. Training, inspiring and empowering a generation that is inventing the digital world of tomorrow is what motivates me every day.
IIM is a pioneer in the hybridisation of skills. Why is this approach essential in a world transformed by artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising our professions, our ways of thinking and our models of collaboration. In this context, hybridisation of skills is becoming essential: learning to think together, to break down barriers, to bring creativity, technology and management into dialogue with each other.
At Pôle Leonardo da Vinci, cross-disciplinary collaboration is at the heart of our DNA. Students from our three schools—ESILV engineering school, EMLV management school, and IIM digital creation school—collaborate on real-world issues, combine their expertise, and work together to invent the professions of tomorrow.
We believe that artificial intelligence calls for the development of multiple intelligences: human, emotional and collective. Training talented individuals capable of combining technology, meaning and ethics means preparing a generation that will make AI a lever for truly human progress.
Digital education is a lever for inclusion. How is IIM working to attract and support more women into tech careers?
At IIM, we are involved at every stage of the journey. Right from the start, we meet with high school girls, break down stereotypes and show them that they have a place in tech. We organise immersive experiences and workshops, and highlight female role models.
During the programme, we strive to create an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can feel validated, progress and assert themselves. We support our students in developing their skills, but also their confidence and leadership. Promoting women’s place in technology is not just about inclusion: it is an act of social transformation.
What does joining the JFD Club mean to you personally and professionally?
The JFD Club is a community that reflects who I am: bold, caring and determined to make a difference. It embodies values that are essential to me: solidarity, collective intelligence and the belief that success is built on sharing.
Being part of it means sharing strong values, learning from others and opening up new perspectives for our female students. Together, we build bridges between generations, sectors and ideas. It’s a wonderful collective energy that drives progress.
Finally, how do you imagine the future if we truly succeed in being “United by Tech”?
“United by Tech” embodies a vision that I fully share: that of a world that leverages diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and sovereignty.
At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping our societies, joining forces is a necessity. Diversity is not just a question of equality; it is a prerequisite for building a sustainable and autonomous digital future.
At IIM and Pôle Léonard de Vinci, we are preparing this generation of talented individuals who are capable of thinking, creating and innovating together, women and men who will make technology a driver of collective progress.
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Lidija NIKOLIC, Director of IIM Digital School, Pôle Léonard de Vinci, and JFD Club Member
Lidija Nikolic has been Director of the IIM Digital School, the digital school of the Pôle Léonard de Vinci, since 2022.
A graduate of the University of Belgrade (Serbia) with a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris, Lidija Nikolic began her career in human resources at Philips before joining Arthur Hunt and Futurestep, firms specialising in recruitment and organisational transformation.
In 2007, she chose higher education, joining the Ionis group. As Academic Director of ISEG, then Director of the Paris campus until 2019, she spearheaded the development of international programmes, work-study opportunities and projects focused on skills hybridisation, in synergy with other schools in the group.
In 2020, she joined Euridis Business School, a business school specialising in high technology and the digital ecosystem, as Director of the Paris campus and Deputy Director General of six other campuses in France.
At the head of the IIM, Lidija Nikolic is now working to train digital talent to combine creativity, innovation and responsibility in the service of a more inclusive and sustainable digital future.
