Breaking the Academic Mold

Translated by Nina Fink Publié le
Breaking the Academic Mold
Université Paris- Dauphine © M.-A.Nourry - février 2014 // ©  Marie-Anne Nourry - 2014
Whether they want to study out of the country, on off hours or in unusual programs, students are increasingly drawn to educational institutions that forge their own paths. As for the institutions themselves, they gain international recognition and increased student body diversity. For schools that want to stand out, there is good reason to break the mold.

Making Classes Work on a Business Schedule

Several French business schools are adapting their class schedules to meet the needs of working students. Not only does this allow them to cater to the rising number of students with tight finances, it can also give them a marketing advantage.

Isabelle Assassi, professor at Toulouse Business School (TBS), explains, “We wanted to fight absenteeism and the vicious cycle where financially struggling students get behind and have to pay for an extra year of studies while jeopardizing their scholarships in the process.” TBS’ solution was to create a morning program that leaves afternoons free for work opportunities.

Among the institutions riding this trend is Kedge Business School, which offers certain classes several times a day and EM Strasbourg, which handles schedule change requests on a case-by-case basis. At Novancia Business School, first- and second-year undergraduates can participate in an immersive work-study program.

When asked whether TBS’ flexible schedule attracts potential students, Isabelle Assassi said, “For some students, this is the deciding factor. Many French families are still reeling from the crisis. So when they’re torn between two schools, they’re likely to choose the one that makes it possible for students to work.”

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Defining Dauphine

Dauphine University stands out among its French peers. The public university has been able to set stringent admissions criteria and higher than average tuition for its roughly nine thousand students, thanks to its grand établissement status.It boasts a 90% pass rate at the second year entry exams, which is not surprising given that three-quarters of dauphinois graduated from high school with honors.

Dauphine recruits to increase diversity and 15.7% of its students receive scholarships. Once they finish school, graduates spend an average of merely two months looking for a job and three years after graduation, their average gross salary is €47 thousand.

Dauphine has helped its graduates’ job prospects by following the business world’s lead and shifting its focus from economics to research. According to Patrice Geoffron, Director of the economics lab, Dauphine “recruits researchers who work internationally and publish abroad.” Recently, the school received around 40 applications from around the world for three positions.

In an effort to increase its visibility abroad, Dauphine applied for the renowned Equis business school accreditation, which was awarded in 2009 and renewed three years later. University vice president Fabien Blanchot explains, “It’s like a club. Once you have the Equis accreditation, it’s easier to build relationships internationally.”

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A Partnership to Learn From

The World Cup is not the only reason Brazil has France’s attention.

This year promises to be big for Franco-Brazilian academic relations as more and more French colleges and universities start programs on Brazilian campuses. Lyon Saint-Étienne opened an office at the University of São Paulo (USP) in 2013 and Toulouse, Lille, Bretagne and Aix-Marseille have similar projects in the works. As for Brazil, it currently sends four thousand students to France every year and is investing heavily in efforts to internationalize its higher education system.

At Sorbonne Paris Cité (SPC), there are plans to open an office at USP in 2015 that will be staffed by a research professor with high-level networking responsibilities. In 2013, SPC launched a call for projects to fund over thirty of its professors to travel to Brazil. Frédéric Ogée, director of international relations at SPC, notes that the “strong demand” for professional development programs in Brazil could also lead to new opportunities.

For Jan Matas, Executive Director of Lyon’s International Alliance, “developing research programs over the long term will strengthen both schools’ exchange programs.” When France and Brazil recognize each other’s academic degrees, then the partnership will truly be complete.

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Translated by Nina Fink | Publié le