Atelier design à l'Ecole des Ponts ParisTech

©David Delaporte

Education program in science and engineering close to business

The objective of engineering schools is to train that companies, particularly French companies, need in France or abroad and to meet their research needs.

The ParisTech graduate schools closely involve companies in the education programme in science and engineering of their students in various ways, on the one hand in order to best meet the needs of companies and, on the other hand, in order to best prepare their students for their professional life. Depending on the school, the association of companies with education and research can take different forms.

In order to be as close as possible to their needs, the schools are in regular dialogue with companies via their representatives on the board of directors or via the council for improvement of the curriculum. On the student side,

  • Professionals - from companies, but also from administration - intervene in the engineering curriculum by teaching on issues related to their professional activity;
  • Companies propose topics for the projects that the students must carry out at different levels during their studies, which allows the students to confront real case studies;
  • Companies, particularly through the alumni they employ, regularly intervene to present their professions and the jobs they offer to students in science and engineering;
  • Students visit industrial sites;
  • Companies offer "challenges" in which students can participate;
  • Students complete an internship each year, which may take place in a company;
  • In some schools, students complete their studies in the frame of an apprenticeship;
  • Finally, some companies are committed to the students by sponsoring a class for the duration of their studies.

Alumni are a privileged link between schools and companies.

ParisTech schools also offer executive education, which allows companies to support their employees in updating or acquiring new knowledge and skills.

Finally, research is an essential element of the relationship between schools and companies: research contracts, teaching and research chairs, joint laboratories, for example.

 

Partnerships with companies in ParisTech schools: