École Normale Supérieure de Cachan
Encyclopedia
The École Normale Supérieure de Cachan (ENS Cachan, Normale Sup' Cachan) is one of the most prestigious French Grandes Écoles
. Like all the other Grandes Écoles, this higher education institution is not included in the mainstream framework of the French public universities. It belongs to the Ecoles normales supérieures
network, along with the Ecole normale supérieure (rue d'Ulm)
and the Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon
.
Students of the ENS Cachan follow the standard university curriculum (Licence, Master, and most of the time PhD). They are encouraged-though it is not mandatory- to take then the Agregation
competitive examination. Students originating from the University are not required to work for a French public administration but are not paid either.
There are 17 departments : Mathematics, Computer Science, Fundamental Physics, Chemistry, Biology for the scientific department, Electronic, Mecatronic, Mechanics Engineering, Civil Engineering for the engineering departments, Economics and Management, Social Sciences, Languages, Design, Sport for the human sciences.
ENS Cachan cooperates with many foreign universities, for example in student exchange programs. One of them is MONABIPHOT developed in cooperation with Wrocław University of Technology in Poland, Complutense or Carlos III
University of Madrid in Spain, MIT, Oxford
, Humboldt
.
such as Sciences Po and the ENSAE
without having to take an entrance exam (or only a part of it). Normaliens can join the Grands Corps techniques d'Etat or prepare the ENA
entrance exam.
Grandes écoles
The grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
. Like all the other Grandes Écoles, this higher education institution is not included in the mainstream framework of the French public universities. It belongs to the Ecoles normales supérieures
École normale supérieure
An école normale supérieure or ENS is a type of publicly funded higher education in France. A portion of the student body who are French civil servants are called Normaliens....
network, along with the Ecole normale supérieure (rue d'Ulm)
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
and the Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
The École Normale Supérieure de Lyon is a highly selective grande école located in Lyon, France. As one of France's three Écoles normales supérieures, ENS Lyon is associated with a strong French tradition of excellence and public service...
.
Overview
Its main mission is to train world-class academics, but it is also a starting point for public administrative or private executive careers. It recruits mostly from the very competitive "classes préparatoires" (see also Grande École). Students of the ENS Cachan who passed the entrance exam are civil servants and are known as "normaliens". Normaliens are paid a monthly salary (around 1300 €) by the French government for their studies and have to work for a French public administration for six years when their four-years curriculum at the ENS is completed.Students of the ENS Cachan follow the standard university curriculum (Licence, Master, and most of the time PhD). They are encouraged-though it is not mandatory- to take then the Agregation
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
competitive examination. Students originating from the University are not required to work for a French public administration but are not paid either.
There are 17 departments : Mathematics, Computer Science, Fundamental Physics, Chemistry, Biology for the scientific department, Electronic, Mecatronic, Mechanics Engineering, Civil Engineering for the engineering departments, Economics and Management, Social Sciences, Languages, Design, Sport for the human sciences.
ENS Cachan cooperates with many foreign universities, for example in student exchange programs. One of them is MONABIPHOT developed in cooperation with Wrocław University of Technology in Poland, Complutense or Carlos III
Carlos III
Carlos III may refer to:*Charles III of Spain, King of Spain from 1759 to 1788.*Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, a Spanish university bearing his name....
University of Madrid in Spain, MIT, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Humboldt
Humboldt
-People:* Alexander von Humboldt, German natural scientist, brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt* Wilhelm von Humboldt , German linguist, philosopher, and diplomat, brother of Alexander von Humboldt- Counties :* Humboldt County, California* Humboldt County, Iowa...
.
Admission
The admission to the ENS Cachan as normalien is made through a highly competitive entrance examination, and requires at least two years of preparation after high school in Classes Préparatoires (Scientific (MPSI, PCSI...), Literary (B/L) and Business sections (Economics and Management)). The ENS Cachan recruits every year 360 normaliens and 800 degree seeking students.Curriculum
Though normaliens follow the standard university curriculum, they have the opportunity to pursue their studies in others Grandes EcolesGrandes écoles
The grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
such as Sciences Po and the ENSAE
ENSAE
ENSAE may refer to:*École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique, a grande école in France.*École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace also known as SUPAERO, a grande école in France....
without having to take an entrance exam (or only a part of it). Normaliens can join the Grands Corps techniques d'Etat or prepare the ENA
École nationale d'administration
The École Nationale d'Administration , one of the most prestigious of French graduate schools , was created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to democratise access to the senior civil service. It is now entrusted with the selection and initial training of senior French officials...
entrance exam.
Some Famous Alumni
- Philippe AghionPhilippe AghionPhilippe Aghion is a French economist. He is Robert C. Waggoner Professor of Economics at Harvard University, having previously been Professor at University College London, an Official Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and an Assistant Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology .His main...
(French economist) - Alain AspectAlain AspectAlain Aspect is a French physicist noted for his experimental work on quantum entanglement....
(French physicist) - Laurent Batsch (French economist-President of Paris Dauphine University)
- Bernard CharlèsBernard CharlesBernard Charlès is the CEO of Dassault Systemes. He is an alumnus of the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan in France.-References:*...
(CEO of Dassault SystemesDassault SystemesDassault Systèmes S.A. is a leading company specializing in 3D and PLM software.Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling...
) - Michel Lallement (French sociologist)
- Marie-Noëlle LienemannMarie-Noëlle LienemannMarie-Noëlle Lienemann is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the North West of France. She is a member of the Socialist Party, part of the Party of European Socialists. She studied at the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan .-References:...
(French politician) - Marc YorMarc YorMarc Yor is a French mathematician well-known for his work on stochastic processes, especially properties of semimartingales, Brownian motion and other Lévy processes, the Bessel processes, and their applications to mathematical finance...
(French mathematician)
See also
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris
- Ecole Normale supérieure de LyonÉcole Normale Supérieure de LyonThe École Normale Supérieure de Lyon is a highly selective grande école located in Lyon, France. As one of France's three Écoles normales supérieures, ENS Lyon is associated with a strong French tradition of excellence and public service...
- Grandes EcolesGrandes écolesThe grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
- Classes préparatoires