PORTRAIT : Marie-Ségolène Naudin, Delegate of the ParisTech Teaching Committee

A bit about my background

I have a Master’s degree from the Neoma Business School (formerly ESC Rouen) with a major in Executive Leadership and Agile Management. During the early years of my career I worked in Human Resources, mainly focusing on training, recruitment and support for individuals and organisations.

After several years working for consultancy firms, I decided to apply my skills to the world of higher education, in particular in the areas of educational innovation, management and leadership.

Alongside this, I also work as a lecturer in engineering, which means I am fully familiar with the inspiring and fast-paced environment that characterises engineering schools today.

My view of ParisTech and the challenges ahead

For almost 20 years, ParisTech has been striving to promote the excellence of France’s graduate engineering schools.

The current drive for change that ParisTech is embracing is particularly promising for the future of the foundation and its schools and members and their students. I see several challenges ahead of me:

• ParisTech understands that educational innovation is key to the future of higher education. Given the academic excellence of each of the schools and the calibre of students they attract, it is only right that we seek to implement best practices in teaching. To do this, it is essential that we pay increasing attention to what is being done in the top educational institutions, and that we strengthen and develop our links with prestigious universities throughout the world. Ultimately, our goal must be to make even greater use of effective and innovative educational methods, for example soft skills teaching.

• Another priority is to increase synergies and cooperation between the ParisTech schools, both in terms of sharing experience and joint training initiatives. By increasing transversality and highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of its network, ParisTech is working to extend the reach of each of its schools and to promote the value of French engineering qualifications.

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, ParisTech genuinely cares about the well-being of its students, whatever their situation and background, and aims to provide them with the support they need throughout their studies to fulfil their goals and dreams.

Why the role caught my attention and what I hope to get out of it

There were lots of reasons why I accepted this role, not least the opportunity to engage in so many rewarding relationships, and the wealth of fascinating challenges to be addressed.

I truly wish to showcase and promote the value of French graduate engineering qualifications and the excellent training programmes offered by the ParisTech schools.

Furthermore, working with the other ParisTech commissions promises to be an exciting opportunity thanks to both the range of challenges to be tackled and the all-encompassing approach that the transverse nature of the organisation allows. This applies both to students and academic staff, and means we can find real solutions to the problems encountered by each group.

It is a joy to be part of an ambitious collaborative project driven by a true desire to succeed. Developing the sharing of best practice between the different schools and their students, encouraging cooperation and joint projects, supporting educational innovation, assisting students and helping them to break down the barriers they encounter – there are so many inspiring and promising avenues to explore.

What I can bring

Over the past years, in my role as lecturer in an engineering school I have taught innovative new subjects and tutored many engineering students. Today, I am keenly aware that students and schools alike require innovative and stimulating classes and courses, and that we need to develop methods that allow students to reach their full potential and that help staff to effectively pass on their skills and knowledge.

To successfully tackle the challenges ahead, the commission needs somebody to act as an interface between all of the parties involved. One of my key ambitions is to increase collaboration, support and openness within the inspirational context of the ParisTech network.