ParisTech, as a consortium of ten engineering institutes in Paris, has over the past five years developed a major initiative for the training of engineers in China based on two interlocking partnerships :
- A network of nine leading Chinese Universities : Peking U., Tsinghua, Chinese Agricultural U., Nanjing U., SouthEast U., Nanjing Agricultural U., Tongji, Fudan, Jiaotong ;
- An educational Joint Venture – IFCIM – (Sino-French Institute for Engineering & Management) founded by Tongji University and ParisTech with the support of 10 major French1 and 7 major Chinese2 corporations.
1 : Air France, Alcatel, Alstom, Bouygues, EDF, Michelin, PSA, Suez, Technip, Total
2 : Shanghai Petrochemical Corporation, Shanghai Metro Company, China Telecom, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Shanghai Construction Group, Zhejiang Hi-Tech Park.
These partnerships have already produced impressive results : 6 ongoing training programmes, 500 students who have already graduated or are currently training, 200 new students enrolled in 2004, 9 joint degree agreements signed with ParisTech’s partner universities.
The development of ParisTech’s strategic partnerships in China in 2004-2007 will both consolidate the achievements to date and build on them to attain new goals by :
- extending the list of training programmes offered to Chinese and French students and executives of the highest calibre in all fields of engineering science and management ;
- promoting cooperation in research, a field in which China has clearly stated its aim to become one of the leading scientific and technological powers of the 21st century ;
- reinforcing industrial partnerships : the design and scope of ParisTech’s training and research programmes in China will be customised according to the needs and the objectives of corporations.
The Action Plan for 2004-2007 will focus on two objectives to promote those partnerships :
- pursue the enrolment of the best Chinese students in the « 50 Chinese engineers at ParisTech » programme, thanks to a Mutual Fund for Scholarships ;
- set up a network of Engineering Training and Research Programmes based on ParisTech’s curricula, in association with Chinese universities and French and Chinese corporations.
In order to achieve its Action Plan, ParisTech will rely on its network of 9 partner universities in China, with which several training programmes have already been launched since 1999.
As the hub of this network, the future Sino-French Centre at Tongji University symbolizes the quality of the relationship and the trust established between the partners. It will be ParisTech’s display centre and headquarters in China and will house the training and research programmes developed within IFCIM in partnership with Tongji University.
A focused and determined commitment by corporations is crucial for the implementation of these programmes. Within the framework of well-defined partnerships, these commitments will enable common goals and activities to be determined and given the requisite momentum.
The « 50 Chinese engineers at ParisTech » programme
ParisTech’s « 50 Chinese engineers » programme (50CE) – which actually enrols about 60 engineering students each year – consists of a highly competitive selection process whereby some of the best students from 9 of China’s leading universities are admitted to ParisTech institutes to complete the two final years (3 in the case of Ecole Polytechnique) of the engineering curriculum leading to the French ‘Diplôme d’ingénieur’ (a M.Sc. degree).
This degree programme was set up to meet the requirements of French corporations which want to strengthen their positions in China by hiring young Chinese executives of high caliber who have acquired a sound French and European culture.
ParisTech’s Masters programme in China
The Masters training programme aims to recruit about fifty – a hundred, in the medium run – other engineers for a sandwich-education program, in China and France, leading up to a ParisTech M.Sc title in a specific field of expertise (see the above M.Sc. Table)
Building on what it has already accomplished, ParisTech will develop its M.Eng. and M.Sc programmes in China (under the status « Diplôme National de Master ») within the framework of the collaborative agreements signed with its 9 Chinese partner Universities.
Each of these M.Eng. and M.Sc’s will be a centre of expertise and excellence in training and research in a key field of economic development.
ParisTech will invite interested firms to set up joint training and research programmes. These focused collaborative ventures, in areas of strategic relevance for the company involved, will enable it :
- To govern the recruitment of its young, highly qualified Chinese professionals, with a sound French culture and real international experience ;
- To develop strong R.& D. programmes.
ParisTech will continuously be approaching potentially interested companies with new Masters programmes. Likewise, companies are invited to manifest their interest to ParisTech’s China mission (see Contacts, further).
As the hub of this network, the Sino-French Centre at Tongji University epitomises the quality of the relationship and the trust established between the partners. It will be ParisTech’s headquarters in China and will house the training and research programmes developed within IFCIM in partnership with Tongji University over the last 4 years and more.
>> Contacts about China at ParisTech