Paris Institute of Technology

infobox University
name = ParisTech
native_name = Paris Institute of Technology


motto =
established = 2007 [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=MENS0700633D legifrance.gouv.fr] founding decree, 21 march 2007] - 1747 [oldest member École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées]
type = Public
calendar= Semester
endowment =
president = Cyrille van Effenterre [ [http://www.paristech.org/en/paristech_contact.html official website] retrieved 27 July 2008]
faculty = 3,000Fact|date=July 2008
students = 18,900 Fact|date=July 2008
undergrad =
Graduate =
city = Paris, Palaiseau [Polytechnique] , Jouy-en-Josas [HEC School of Management] , NancyÉcole nationale du génie rural, des eaux et des forêts, a componant of AgroParisTech] , Montpellier, Clermont-Ferrand, Kourou, etc.
state =
country = France
athletics =
former_names =
colors =
nickname =
mascot =
website = http://www.paristech.org

ParisTech the Paris Institute of Technology [official English naming according to [http://www.paristech.fr/fichiers/paristech/convention_constitutive_16_janv_DEF_DGES.doc convention constitutive] , 16 January 2007] (French : ParisTech or Institut des sciences et technologies de Paris) is one of the newly-forming collegiate universities in France. It gathers 11 engineering schools, covering nearly the whole spectrum of engineering science, and 1 business school, aiming to be of comparable status to the most famous universities of technology around the world. [ [http://www.paristech.org/en/index.html Official website] ]

History

In 1991, many prestigious engineering Grandes Écoles felt the need to set up a coordinating voluntary association, called "Grandes écoles d'ingénieurs de Paris", that would foster closer collaboration among themselves in areas of common interest and thereby acquire international recognition as an entity of sufficient size and importance.

In 1999 its name was changed to "ParisTech" [Official website, [http://www.paristech.org/fr/paristech_organisation.html l'histoire et le fonctionnement] , retrieved 27 July 2008] .

In 2007, its status changed to a public establishment for scientific cooperation (établissement public de coopération scientifique), under the title "Institut des sciences et technologies de Paris, dénommé ParisTech". It is headed by a President, assisted by an executive bureau and a secretary general, and administrated by a board of directors, assisted by a strategic orientation council and a scientific council. The board of directors gathers one representative of each college or institute as well as researchers, faculty members, and one representative of the students.

Colleges and institutes

The member institutes of ParisTech are well-established publicly-owned educational and research institutions, many of which were founded back in the 18th century. Some deliver multidisciplinary studies in science such as the prestigious École Polytechnique, École des Mines de Paris or École nationale des ponts et chaussées, whereas others provide a more specialized field of study and research. The famous French business school HEC School of Management is also a member of the Paris Institute of Technology. Ever since they were established, they have stood at the forefront of technological and scientific developments in their field and have trained a majority of the engineers who have given rise to France's industrial achievements.

ParisTech is also a member of the IDEA League, an alliance between the best universities in science and technology in Europe, as well as of the ATHENS Programme.

The member colleges and institutes are:
*École nationale des ponts et chaussées (École des Ponts ParisTech), founded in 1747
*Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech), founded in 2007, as a result of the merger between different agronomy colleges
*École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique, founded in 1942
*École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers (or Arts et Métiers ParisTech), founded in 1780
*École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI) founded in 1882
*École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris, founded in 1896
*École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris (or Mines ParisTech), founded in 1783
*École nationale supérieure des télécommunications (or TELECOM ParisTech), founded in 1878
*École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées, founded in 1970
*École Polytechnique, founded in 1794
*Institut d'Optique Graduate School (SupOptique), founded in 1920
*HEC School of Management, founded in 1881

Facts and Figures

From the official website: [cite web|url=http://www.paristech.org/en/paristech_chiffres.html|title=Facts and figures on the ParisTech's official Website|accessdate=2008-08-14]

*3,500 teachers-researchers
*18,900 students (31% of whom are foreign students)
*2,500 PhD students
*200,000 alumni (with strong links to their colleges and institutes in their jobs)

Studies:
*6,200 Master's degrees delivered every year
*181 Master's programmes (teaching unit specialties) with more than 2700 curses [According to the online catalog of curses (listed in external links).]
*15 ParisTech Masters of Science programmes Fact|date=July 2008
*57 Master's specialisations (Post-master professional certificates) Fact|date=July 2008
*21 Doctorate schools in 28 accredited programs in PariTech schools, or in partnership with science institutes and universities. [cite web|url=http://www.paristech.org/fr/etudier_doctorat_ecolesdoct.html|title="Les écoles doctorales"|language=fr|accessdate=2008-10-08]

Research:
*126 research laboratories
*500 doctoral theses defended every year
*18,000 publications (over the past five years)
*2,870 research contracts with companies

Locations

Most of the ParisTech institutes and colleges are located in the Latin Quarter, the district on the left bank of the Seine where intellectual life has been thriving since the Middle Ages. A majority of them are there, close to one another, in a district bustling with student activity and within the centre of the city.

However, some institutes also created additional sites on the outskirts of Paris, or in other parts of the country. In the course of time, some institutes had settled more towards the periphery, but always on the Left Bank.

Some years ago, the École nationale des ponts et chaussées and the École Polytechnique eventually moved their educational and research facilities to more spacious campuses in greater Paris, respectively in Marne-la-Vallée (East) and Palaiseau (South). SupOptique and ENSTA have relocated on the Palaiseau campus recently as the ENSAE will within 2010.

Besides its Latin Quarter location, AgroParisTech, the ParisTech college specialized in life, food, and environmental sciences, also comprises 8 other sites, including sites on the Parisian outskirts (including an experimental farm used for education and research, at the Château de Grignon in the West of the Paris), in other parts of mainland France, and Guyane.

Education

ParisTech offers a complete range of courses, independently or in partnership with other institutions (in particular doctoral and Master's degrees), in the core disciplines of science and technology at postgraduate level. Its main programmes are:
*the "Ingénieur" degree, a Master level programme delivering a broad understanding of fundamental Engineering Science and a thorough introduction to Economics, Management and Communication. The admission to the Ingénieur degree is widely known as being highly selective. Students are admitted through nationwide competitive examinations for students having completed two years of Classes Préparatoires in France or abroad, or by virtue of outstanding academic records. Because of the competitive exams, the prestigious colleges and institutes of ParisTech attract the best students, who then often reach the highest positions in their later careers.
*Master of Science (MSc) programmes, courses designed to provide an in-depth understanding in various fields of science ranging from Mathematics to Economics. Admission to ParisTech MSc programmes is open to students holding a Bachelor of Science (BSc) or a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) from a French or international university. Each college or institute has its own specific admissions requirements.
*Mastères spécialisés (Post-master professional certificates) enable students which have already completed a Master's degree to develop their knowledge in a specialty to a high standard.
*An MBA (Master of Business Administration) ranked No. 1 in the world for the international mobility of its graduate students.
*Doctoral programmes (PhD): ParisTech laboratories play host to 2000 doctoral students. Thesis enrolment is handled by the ParisTech institute or college to which the host laboratory is attached.
*ParisTech institutes and colleges also offer continuing education courses aimed at professionals, accessible with a Bachelor or universitary degree, with curses to the degrees of Ingénieur, Master, Specialized Master or Doctorate.

External links

* [http://www.paristech.org/ ParisTech website]
* [http://www.paristech.org/en/etudier_libres.html ParisTech Open Course Ware] , presentation of educational resources from the 10 of the 11 ParisTech graduate schools and the HEC business school, and free access to the the available online catalog of more than 2500 teaching ressources, 2700 course in around 200 programs of teaching units; most documents are under a Creative Commons licence, they can be read, copied and printed for a personal usage, but must not be modified.
* [http://pastel.paristech.org/ Pastel] , the catalog of more than 1500 PhD thesis signed by ParisTech students from 10 of the 11 ParisTech ecoles, with free access online (about 400 theses are presented each year).
* [http://www.polymedia.polytechnique.fr/CenterSearch.cfm?Table=Enlignes Poly-Media Documentation center] , similar catalog of PhD theses from "École Polytechnique", with free access online.

References