Polytechnic Institute of Paris

Polytechnic Institute of Paris

Institut polytechnique de Paris
Type	Public
Established	c. 1794 École polytechnique 2019 Scission of the Paris-Saclay University
Chancellor	Christophe Kerrero
President	Éric Labaye
Students	8,500
Postgraduates	1,500
Doctoral students	950
Location	Palaiseau , Île-de-France , France 48°42′42″N 2°10′17″E / 48.7117343°N 2.1712888°E / 48.7117343; 2.1712888Coordinates: 48°42′42″N 2°10′17″E / 48.7117343°N 2.1712888°E / 48.7117343; 2.1712888
Campus	Paris-Saclay
Website	ip-paris.fr/en

The Polytechnic Institute of Paris (French: Institut polytechnique de Paris) is a research university system consisting of five engineering schools (grandes écoles) located in Paris-Saclay, France.

With the Paris-Saclay University, the Polytechnique Institute of Paris is part of the Paris-Saclay project, which is a research-intensive academic campus and business cluster being developed on the Plateau de Saclay near Paris, and is expected to become the main center for training and research within the technology cluster of Paris-Saclay.^[1][2] The University integrates several leading grandes écoles and research centers that are part of the world's top research organizations in various fields.^[3][4]

The technological university was formed around the École polytechnique which is one of the most respected and selective elite universities in France, known as grandes écoles. Among its alumni are three Nobel prize winners,^[5] one Fields Medalist,^[6] three Presidents of France^[7] and many CEOs of French and international companies. It was ranked 61st internationally by the QS World University Rankings 2021, 93rd by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020, and 2nd by the Times Higher Education Small University Rankings.^[8][9][10]

History[edit]

After World War II, the rapid growth of nuclear physics and chemistry meant that research needed more and more powerful accelerators, which required large areas. The University of Paris, the École Normale Supérieure and the Collège de France looked for space in the south of Paris near Orsay. In 1976, the École polytechnique moved from central Paris to Palaiseau in the southern suburbs.

Now it hosts a great number of laboratories on its large (236 ha) campus in Paris-Saclay. Many of the top French laboratories are among them especially in particle physics,^[11] nuclear physics,^[12][13] astrophysics,^[14] atomic physics and molecular physics,^[15] condensed matter physics,^[16] theoretical physics,^[17] electronics, nanoscience and nanotechnology.^[18]

Paris-Saclay University was established in 2015 as a universities community (ComUE) and in 2019 as a university, with the aim to become a top-ranking, research-focused French university. In order to be recognized as an entity of sufficient size and quality, the university regroups some of the top grandes écoles in France with public universities under a single campus on the Saclay plateau. Each member institution will remain independent but share a significant portion of existing and newly invested resources. This follows a model similar to the one adopted by University of Oxford and Cambridge, where each constituent college keeps its independence while being grouped under a 'university'.^[2]

Confronted with disagreements between its members (schools versus universities, French Ministry of Defense versus Ministry of Higher Education), the University of Paris-Sud proposes in 2017 its transformation into the Paris-Saclay University, with the schools only being associated with the future institution.

On October 25, 2017, the project to create a new scientific and university pole in Paris-Saclay was announced by Emmanuel Macron during a speech at the Paris-Saclay University. The schools were then part of the Paris-Saclay University, and they separated from it.

This split followed strong dissensions within this ensemble between the universities and the engineering schools. Taking note of these blockages, the president decided that the schools would form their own scientific pole, initially named NewUni, separate from the Paris-Saclay University.

These two poles should cohabit side by side in Paris-Saclay.

HEC Paris also joined the project without becoming a member. Other higher education or research institutions for all their activities or within the scope of some of their schools or training organizations may become component institutions of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. Their application must be approved by the Board of Directors of the Institut polytechnique de Paris.

After the temporary name "NewUni", the name "Polytechnic Institute of Paris" will be chosen in February 2019. Paris-Saclay University and the Polytechnic Institute of Paris plan to co-operate and they engage in organization of several master's degrees with the Paris-Saclay University.^[19]

Organisation[edit]

Grandes écoles[edit]

The Polytechnic Institute of Paris comprises five grandes écoles:

• École Polytechnique
• Télécom Paris
• Telecom SudParis
• ENSTA Paris
• ENSAE Paris

Research organizations[edit]

The following research organizations have established research centers within the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The resources contributed by these organizations will remain largely independent from other member institutions.

• CEA (Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission)
• CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research)
• Inria (French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation)
• INSERM (French Institute of Health and Medical Research)
• Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies)
• INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Sciences)
• ONERA (National Board of Study and Aerospace Research)
• SOLEIL (national synchrotron facility)

University rankings[edit]

In international rankings, the École Polytechnique is ranked 61st worldwide by the QS World University Rankings 2021, and 93rd worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020. The Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the Shanghai Rankings, places Polytechnique in 2019 at 301–400th worldwide, and 14–19 in France.^[24] In 2020, the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking ranked the École Polytechnique at 342th in the world and 148th in Europe with its "Engineering Subjects" placed at 451th globally.^[25]

See also[edit]

• List of public universities in France by academy
• Paris-Saclay Medical School

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website