The Historical Mission: developing the historical heritage of Societe Generale

Established in 2005, the Historical Mission brings together former staff members and renowned historians to pursue the common goal of continuing and enhancing the Group’s rich historical heritage.

Former staff and historians

Under the leadership of Laurent Goutard − Head of International Retail Banking for Africa, the Mediterranean Basin & Overseas, the Historical Mission is divided into two entities:

• The History Committee, which brings together former Group staff members
• The Scientific Committee, composed of academic professionals (university professionals, research directors, research institutes, etc.)

The Historical Mission supports scientific research by offering research grants to students and young researchers following a university course in history or other disciplines. It also supports the organisation of scientific symposia.

Historical Mission: composition and work conducted (in French only)

Recent projects supported by the Historical Mission

• « L'évolution de l'espace de travail à la Société Générale de 1864 à nos jours » (“Evolution of workspace at Societe Generale from 1864 to the present day”), by Delphine Minchella, Doctoral thesis in Management Science at Paris-Dauphine University.
• « Filiales informatiques et information de la Société Générale dans les années 1970 » (“Societe Generale IT and Information business lines in the 1970s”), by Sylvain Berger, Research Masters in History at Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University.
• « La Société Générale en Afrique : développement d’une banque dans un contexte colonial de 1913 à la fin des années 1960, au Congo-Brazzaville, au Maroc et au Sénégal » (“Societe Generale in Africa: development of a bank within a colonial context from 1913 to the late 1960s, in Congo-Brazzaville, Morocco and Senegal”, by Dimitry Mba-Ekomy, Research Masters at Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University.

Research grants

Every year, the Historical Mission and its scientific committee award research grants to selected candidates upon presentation of a research project. Subjects that relate exclusively to the history of Societe Generale from 1864 to the present day are preferred. However, wider or comparative studies incorporating the Group’s history are also considered.

Are you enrolled in a Master 1, Master 2, PhD or post-doctoral programme in France or abroad? Is your research project related to our research topics?

Request a research grant from the Societe Generale Historical Mission

Scientific symposia

Through the efforts of the Historical Mission, Societe Generale regularly takes part in organising conferences throughout France. For example, a study day in 2011 entitled "Banking architecture: between beauty and practicality" was organised in Paris by the Histara research team (EA 4115, art history, history of representation and archaeology in Europe) from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE). The same year, a symposium entitled "Banks and corporate mutations" was organised at the Archives nationales du monde du travail in Roubaix, France.