ParisTech launches its Master policy
ParisTech launched its Master policy on 10 June of this year. This policy, drawn up by the Master Committee, made up of representatives of Master programmes from the 12 ParisTech schools, aims to develop training through and for research within the Schools and ensure that ParisTech can boast a coherent, attractive and internationally competitive series of masters programmes.
Using the existing offer as the basis, the Schools selected their masters using a number of criteria: for example, high level of demands in terms of quality, implication of the schools in the governance of the programmes, the resources of the Master in question, and so on. The discussions gave rise to an overall offer of 25 different masters. The campaign to promote this first wave of Masters will be launched in October 2010, and will involve the key players from the ParisTech schools: Masters directors, teachers, directors of studies, international relations managers, communication managers, development managers. The Paris Tech Master policy is a transversal project, part of a determined collective approach which illustrates a shared commitment to enhance and strengthen the skills of the schools which comprise ParisTech.
Is there a pedagogical effectiveness to internships as part of an engineering education?
The international symposium "Internships in the Training of Engineers" organised by the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech on 21 and 22 June 2010 attracted nearly 300 people. 12 countries were also represented to provide their experiences on the role of internships as part of engineering degrees. Internships in companies or laboratories, in France as well as overseas, are a fact of life that is put into question all too infrequently. However, a number of convergent factors ("skills-based" approach, accreditation procedures, assessment of training courses and establishments) have made it necessary to measure the effectiveness of teaching practices with regard to the objectives of courses and the alternative resources that can be used. This symposium provided an opportunity to take a closer look at these issues around the themes of professional skills development, partnerships between companies and research and higher education institutions, types of internships, their timing within study courses, how they should be supported and assessed, how long they should last, how they should be acknowledged in academic terms, how they should be financed and the legal framework within which they can be the most effective. The issue of internships abroad and their pedagogical effectiveness was also raised.
The US firm Hudson and ParisTech: Skills patronage to help doctoral students
The US firm Hudson, a specialist in Recruitment and Human Resources consulting, signed a skills patronage agreement with ParisTech on 16 April 2010. This contract will lead to two major actions, the aim of which is to enhance the status of the doctorates granted by the ParisTech schools. On the one hand, Hudson will assist the doctoral students attending the "Doctoral programs in management" course in 2011 into employment, thanks to customised assessment interviews. On the other hand, a "doctoral ambassadors" programme will be set up in order to promote the doctorates issued by the schools at international symposia and conferences. There will be a contest at the start of the year 2010-2011 to allow all of the doctoral students at ParisTech to apply for this large-scale collective project.
Roaring success for the Horizon China 2010 Forum
20 June 2010 - The Horizon China 2010 Forum confirms its success with nearly 300
visitors, 85% from the schools of ParisTech.
This forum, organised by the Franco-Chinese association of ParisTech (AFCP), reflects the multidisciplinary approach and international openness of ParisTech. Hosted by Télécom ParisTech, the fourth edition of this recruitment forum hosted nine French and Chinese companies, including several ParisTech partners such as EDF, Huawei and Rhodia, among others. The aim of the event was to encourage discussion between Chinese students, sinophile French students and major industrial groups who are heavily involved in Franco-Chinese economic relations. The numerous panels discussed cooperation issues in the fields of telecommunications, energy and sustainable development.
Strengthening ties with the presidents of Chinese universities
A delegation of Chinese university presidents and senior officials from the Chinese Ministry of Education visited ParisTech on 1 and 2 June. This mission follows the visit by the Chinese Vice-Minister of Education in October 2009. The aim was to increase awareness of how French engineers are trained and to prepare a reform of engineering education in China. The delegation was received by the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, MINES ParisTech, the Ecole Polytechnique and Télécom ParisTech. The managers of each of the schools presented their engineering training courses and the Chinese students currently studying in the schools answered numerous questions on how their courses intersect with industrial internships.
ParisTech attends the University of the Digital Age
ParisTech participated in the 3rd International Symposium of the University in the Digital Age (CIUEN) held in Strasbourg from 14 to 16 June 2010.
Every two years, the CIUEN brings together everybody involved in digital technology at higher education establishments, as well as the representatives of national supervisory authorities (CPU, SDTICE etc.). The members of the ICT Practices group (a ParisTech Graduate School project) presented a paper on the topic: "Pooling and collaboration of ICT units within a PRES (university consortium): the example of ParisTech". The video will soon be available on http://canalc2.u-strasbg.fr/video.asp?idvideo=9766. The conference was also a chance to create links with national networks such as the Thematic Digital Universities (UNT) and regional structures as the Digital University in Ile de France. These meetings, finally, gave rise to extensive discussions (following on from the presentations) on the increasing need to train and professionalise teachers, on the training to be provided to students (C2I- the computer and Internet certificate for which level 2 is required for engineering professions) and on the changes in the usage and the development of digital technologies, in particular in the light of international comparisons.
The ParisTech "Doctors and Businesses" circle: promoting training through research to companies.
On 11 June 2010, thirteen ParisTech partner companies joined the "Doctors and Businesses" circle. The Circle, designed to be a forum for the exchange of ideas, is part of the ParisTech Doctoral Institute and involves companies which wish to enter into greater cooperation with the twelve ParisTech schools. The aim of the Circle is to promote and support the training of doctors with a high potential for innovation. It also wants to be a venue for debate and a catalyst for proposals, and it will be the Circle's role to express and formalise the expectations and needs of companies and the schools in terms of doctoral education. By extension, the Circle participates in the development of the doctoral programme across ParisTech and its international influence.
Creation of the ParisTech Foundation
Created by decree published on 10 April 2010 in the Official Gazette, the ParisTech Foundation succeeds the previous, temporary association.ParisTech now has a veritable structure for raising funds destined to support the influence and development of French and European higher education and research. The ParisTech Foundation will notably support the strategy of its schools in three major areas: boosting appeal from high-level international students and teachers, support for diversity policies, promoting research and interaction between schools.The ParisTech Foundation is a recognised public utility and hosting association, which is a unique status to date in the field of Higher Education. The ParisTech Foundation can thus shelter hosted foundations, notably those of schools that express a wish to do so. It is supported by prestigious industrial groups, all of which are founder members and long-term partners of ParisTech and its schools.
ParisTech Review: an ambitious online review of the economic and social impact of the technological revolution
A new French review targeted at an international audience has been created. ParisTech Review is online at the following address: http://www.paristechreview.com. The review is in English; all articles are also available in French.
ParisTech Review is intended for managers of private companies in developed and emerging countries.
It leans on two strategic partners, The Harvard Business Review and Knowledge@Wharton. It also has syndication agreements with Les Échos and L’École de Paris du Management in France, Asahi Shimbun in Japan, and The Times of India in India.
ParisTech Review is free to access. Subscribers are informed of new articles via a newsletter that is sent out periodically.
You are cordially invited to subscribe: http://www.paristechreview.com/newsletter/?lang=fr.
Huawei, ParisTech's partner to facilitate PhD students' professional integration
Huawei, the leader in solutions for latest-generation telecommunications operators' networks, has just signed a partnership with ParisTech to support the promotion of the 2009 "PhD for the company" programme, which offers PhD students bound for corporate careers a training course where they develop and perfect their knowledge of how companies work.
The ParisTech PRES is strengthening its development strategy to create a fully fledged university of science, technology and management
The directors of the ParisTech schools met at a seminar on Friday 16 October to reflect on their collective strategy and reaffirmed their desire to establish, on the basis of the founding values set out in their common 2006 project, a "university of science, technology and management" organised over three campuses in the Paris region, a university boasting genuine autonomy, strengthened governance and the diploma awarding capacities of a fully fledged university.As Cyrille van Effenterre, the President of ParisTech, said: "ParisTech is hoping for increased coordination between the various authorities which oversee the ParisTech schools and would genuinely like to contractualise the relations it has with the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. ParisTech, in return for achieving a series of targets, is seeking increased recognition, reinforced resources and greater legitimacy for issuing national diplomas."
On Saturday 17 October, François Fillon chaired the presentation to the flag of the class X 2008. He was welcomed by Marion Guillou, the President of the Board of Directors, and General Xavier Michel, the director of the Ecole Polytechnique
After attending the ceremony at the Ecole Polytechnique, in the presence of Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet (X 1992) and Christian Blanc, the Prime Minister spoke to students and their families. In particular, he noted that "in a world of increased competition, the strength of France depends on its scientific and technical potential." Reaffirming the commitment of the President of the Republic to "make France one of the chief nations in Europe in terms of research and innovation," the Prime Minister spoke at length about the government's ambition to turn the Saclay site into "a centre with an international reputation" in the field of research and technology, in particular by bringing together "all of the players in the innovation chain" in order to "generate discoveries, technology transfers and the creation of wealth and jobs."
The Schools of ParisTech come together for equal opportunities
On Friday 23 October, 330 people (teachers and headmasters from secondary schools, higher education professors and students) gathered at a symposium on the theme of "Supporting high school students in the move up to further education", co-organised by the Regional Council of Ile-de-France and ParisTech, in partnership with the associations Paris-Montagne and Talens.The objective of this symposium was to look at French and European experiences on how to increase equality of opportunity in higher education.
From 30/09 to 10/10, Cyril van Effenterre and a ParisTech schools delegation participated in various events to mark the Franco-Brazilian Higher Education week
In São Paulo, at the Symposium on Training for Future Trades, they participated actively in the round tables on two themes which are essential for ParisTech: • sustainable development and the new professions which arise from it, a roundtable for which the President of ParisTech delivered the opening address,• Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Electro Industries, a roundtable to which Alain Fuchs, the Director of Chemistry ParisTech, contributed. In Piracicaba, at an event held by the University of São Paulo's School of Agriculture on the theme of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences cooperation, the President of ParisTech attended the opening session and welcomed the progress made in student exchanges with AgroParisTech and the major links on various topics of ongoing research.Moreover, the 5 partner universities in São Paulo and Rio were visited in order to look at possible future developments after four years of successful co-operation. In addition to continuing our work with our partners and the signing of a double engineering degree convention with the University of Campinas, as well as a similar project underway with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, it is important to note that our partners are keen to establish longer term relationships in the fields of research, masters and doctorates
Michelin and the ESPCI ParisTech announce the opening of the website for the "Materials Science" Chai
The "Materials Science" Chair was created as part of a scientific partnership established in 2008 between the Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris and Michelin. Its purpose is to promote and develop research activities around common themes in the field and to support research-based training provided at ESPCI ParisTech.
ParisTech and Renault create the "Institute for Sustainable Mobility"
Renault, the Renault Foundation and ParisTech have decided to found an "Institute for Sustainable Mobility". The objective of this institute is to implement research and education programmes on the future of transportation and electric mobility, starting from the academic year 2009.
Inauguration of ParisTech Entrepreneurs
On 16 September, 2009, Jean-Louis Missika, the Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for Innovation, Research and Universities, launched ParisTech Entrepreneurs, the new ParisTech business incubator located on rue Dareau, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Built on the basis of the success of the ParisTech Telecom incubator, the School of the Telecom Institute, and supported by the Mayor of Paris, this structure will become a real lever for the development of the capital.
Huawei, ParisTech’s partner to facilitate PhD students' professional integration
Huawei, the leader in solutions for latest-generation telecommunications operator networks, has just signed a partnership with ParisTech to support the class of 2009 on the "PhD for Enterprise" programme. This programme, which is sponsored by Huawei, offers PhD students bound for corporate careers with training during which they develop and perfect their knowledge of how companies work.
New chair in water services and purification in developing countries
In June ParisTech and the SUEZ ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION-Water for All, housed at the Institut de France, established a long-term partnership on the topic of developing access to water and purification in developing countries through the “Water for All” chair la chaire Eau Pour Tous created by AgroParisTech and MINES ParisTech.
The goals of this teaching and research chair are to strengthen the skills of future water service and purification managers in developing and emerging countries or in transition, launch applied research programmes based on issues in those countries and contribute to the spread of knowledge, know-how and operational practices in the areas of the management of urban drinking water services and purification networks in such countries.
The deadline for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) invitation to tender bids for "knowledge and innovation communities" (KICs) was 27 August. ParisTech is involved, in varying degrees, in proposals that have been submitted in each of the three areas:
- an "I'Cities-ICT for smart and sustainable cities" proposal in the area of the "Next Generation Information and Communication Society". ParisTech will mainly be in charge of the Île-de-France's contribution to the training part.
- a "Climate-KIC" proposal in the area of "Climate change mitigation and adaptation". ParisTech is eagerly awaited not only for the section on training but also for the possibility of more broadly contributing to the project's construction, in the genesis of which the IDEA League network played a vital role.
- ParisTech, which is present to a lesser degree ("network partner") in an "InnoEnergy" proposal in the area of "Sustainable Energy", is likely to become involved on a case-by-case basis in training actions of a KIC whose French contribution is mainly based in Grenoble.
If these proposals clear the first dossier selection hurdles, the next major step will be a series of hearings the EIT will hold in December 2009. The selected KIC projects will start up in 2010.
The ParisTech Entrepreneur Paris incubator project, which backs the creation of innovative companies in the areas of scientific and technological expertise and is intended for ParisTech graduates and researchers, has obtained the City of Paris’s “Paris Innovation” label. A 1,200m² area to house the facility has already been set aside in an Arts et Métiers ParisTech real estate project. ParisTech Entrepreneur complements the Agoranov and Incuballiance incubators and will inherit the Télécom ParisTech incubator, whose dynamism is a matter of record: over 30 trailblazing projects in incubation in Paris, 109 created companies in activity, including approximately 10 whose turnover has surpassed one million euros, and 1,000 jobs created make it one of France’s most important incubators.
On 28 April ParisTech Student Centre Director Jean-Claude Loncle signed the sustainable development charter of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, which seeks to reach the "3x20 European" goals by 2020:
- 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
- 20% increase in use of renewable energy,
- 20% reduction of energy consumption.
Cooperation agreement between ParisTech and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and ParisTech signed a cooperation agreement on 8 June 2009 during a research seminar on wireless communication, nanotechnology and photonics.
The goal of this agreement with Singapore’s most prestigious technological university is to develop cooperation in the areas of teaching and research based on equality and reciprocity.
HEC Graduate association joins ParisTech Alumni
Following HEC's inclusion as a founding member of ParisTech last June, ParisTech Alumni's board enthusiastically welcomed HEC Graduate association's request to join its ranks recognising a common identity of their roles and values. The HEC Association organises and leads the network maintaining or creating friendly and professional bonds among the 43,000 graduates whatever their professions or geographical location worldwide. With this arrival, ParisTech increases its strength by representing over 170,000 graduates; its network abroad is being extended at the same time since it now includes 63 active groups. The priority of the HEC association within ParisTech Alumni will be directed towards the development of the ParisTech name abroad to promote the reputation of all the ParisTech schools.
New programmes in Chile
In the course of last term, ParisTech negotiated the setting-up of the Chilfitec exchange programme with the 4 main universities of the country. Chile expressed an interest in increasing doctorates abroad. A government programme of “BECACHILE” grants has just been launched with bids for proposals according to geographical area. Participation by ParisTech in this programme is a wish of the Embassy and our Chilean partners
10 years after its founding, IFCIM is set for new growthAt the Supervisory Committee meeting held at Tongji on 14 November last, the governors of IFCIM (Sino-French Institute of Engineering and Management) decided to work jointly on an action plan for the next 5 years, aimed at developing together the various possibilities of organising joint training and cooperation in the research field. Founded in 1998, by the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech and ParisTech on the one hand and by the University of Tongji on the other, IFCIM is housed in the Sino-French Centre of the University of Tongji. The Chinese section of the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (SIMBA) is organised here as well as 6 vocational master’s degrees and two specialised master’s degrees. These Sino-French training courses are coordinated by Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, AgroParisTech, ESPICI ParisTech, MINES ParisTech and TELECOM ParisTech; each year a hundred students sign up for the MBA, and ten students for each of the other courses.
ParisTech at the CampusFrance fair at BeijingFrom 17 to 19 October, the Chinese team of ParisTech took part in the CampusFrance fair at Beijing to present the various programmes of its member schools. The ParisTech stand attracted many visitors including several dozens of students pre-selected by ParisTech to join one of its member schools. The ParisTech team also had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Hervé Ladsous, French Ambassador to China and Mr. Alexandre Ziegler, Cooperation and Cultural Action Advisor in China.
Collaborative projects with Tomsk Polytechnic University – RussiaOn 28 November, a TPU seminar (Tomsk Polytechnic University – Tomsk, Russia) took place at the Ecole Polytechnique in partnership with ParisTech. The objective of the Russian delegation, presided by Professor Chuchalin, Vice-Rector in charge of international relations, was to provide information about how TPU operates, its teaching programmes and its priorities regarding research and international cooperation with a view to a future collaboration with ParisTech's schools and research laboratories. TPU is especially interested in nuclear energy, ITCs, nano-technologies, petroleum engineering and technology management.