After brexit, Paris area wants to take the lead in Europe elite universities and research institutes
Updated: Mar 31, 2021
The Deeptech convergence over the next decade will be accelerated by the scientists and engineers trained from the best European academic institutes:
Over the last 40 years, UK has been dominating Europe with global education institutes, mostly driven by the golden triangle, including Oxford Cambridge, the University of London (UCL, LSE, LBS, KingsCollege, ...) and Imperial College...
Interestingly, France has invested in the last 10 years significant resources to better coordinate its academic institutions and increase their international reputation. The program called "Investment for the future" has contributed to make emerge, in Paris, 4 major institutes aiming to enter top 50 world rankings:
Illustration: College de France (website)
Photo: Jean Pierre-Muller / AFP
Paris Science et Lettres Université
Certainly the most elitist institute among all in Paris, small in size but high in reputation. Only a very few students can access the programs and the academic lab retain the best researchers. It is led by the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure and College de France home of Nobel Prizes and world renewed scientists. On its side, two of the most renewed schools of engineering in France, Ecole des Mines and Ecole de Physique et Chimie Industrielles, all located in the heart of Paris Pantheon area.
Located 20km in south of Paris, its an extended campus with new building hosting a top science and technology university and some renewed technology institutes including CentraleSupelec, Ecole Normale Supérieure Saclay, Institut d'optique, AgroParisTech. The quality of science and engineering and number of researcher has convinced many global companies to build their R&D center on the campus including Renault, Danone, EDF, Air liquide, IBM, Siemens, Servier, Total, ....
The classic and historical university. At the heart of Paris quartier latin, the university is specialized in arts, humanities, science, engineering and medicine. The education focus on theoretical and intellectual topics with world recognition in literature, quantum physics or mathematics. The long history, the range of disciplines and its highly recognized faculty makes it one of the most prestigious French institution.
X Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Driven by X Ecole Polytechnique and its "écoles d'application" in telecom, statistics and advanced technology. As elitist as Paris Sciences et Lettres University, this institution better prepare for a career in large companies or industry. In the last 50 years, it has trained all the France industry leaders, famous alumni are CEO of the S&P 500 companies starting with LVMH - Bernard Arnault, Vinci - Xavier Huillard, BNP - Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, ... The institute based south of Paris near Saclay also benefits from many large companies opening R&D center on the campus.