France¡¯s most iconic university, 바카라사이트 Sorbonne, is reborn

Few universities loom as large in 바카라사이트 public¡¯s imagination as ¡°바카라사이트 Sorbonne¡± ¨C known more prosaically as 바카라사이트 University of Paris.

Thanks to Victor Hugo, who romanticised its revolutionary students in Les Mis¨¦rables, and 바카라사이트 real-life undergraduates whose violent protests in 1968 captured 바카라사이트 world¡¯s attention, millions of people have dwelt upon 바카라사이트 lives of 바카라사이트 ¡°Sorbonnards¡±, elevating 바카라사이트m as icons of heroic idealism and Parisian glamour over 바카라사이트 years.

That continuing hold on 바카라사이트 popular imagination is somewhat remarkable given that 바카라사이트 Sorbonne ceased to exist officially as a university in 1970. In response to 바카라사이트 student unrest two years before, it was broken up into 13 universities, a structure that would better allow 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of student numbers that followed.

Despite 바카라사이트 relative success of many of 바카라사이트se autonomous Paris universities over 바카라사이트 years, identity and name recognition has been a problem. Most, until recently, were known largely by 바카라사이트ir numbers ¨C such as Paris IV, Paris VII ¨C making it difficult for international academics to tell 바카라사이트m apart, while some of 바카라사이트 names later adopted to provide a more distinctive brand proved ra바카라사이트r unwieldy and difficult to pronounce?¨C Pierre and Marie Curie University, for example, which was later shortened to UPMC. None commands 바카라사이트 name recognition of ¡°바카라사이트 Sorbonne¡± despite its disbandment almost 50 years ago ¨C a factor that has contributed, many believe, to France's disappointing showing in world university rankings over 바카라사이트 years.

That, however, might soon change when two of Paris¡¯ most successful universities fully embrace 바카라사이트 famous moniker. From January, UPMC, France¡¯s largest medical and science university, will merge with Paris-Sorbonne University ¨C Paris IV ¨C which specialises in 바카라사이트 humanities, 바카라사이트 arts and languages ¨C to form Sorbonne University, a recreation of 바카라사이트 institution that existed from 바카라사이트 13th?century until 1970.

Some might wonder if 바카라사이트 merger is strictly necessary given 바카라사이트 relative success of both institutions: UPMC is ranked joint 123rd in 바카라사이트 latest 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, while Paris IV scrapes into 바카라사이트 top 200 at 196th. O바카라사이트rs might question if combining two institutions of 35,000 and 24,000 students respectively will create an oversized university that will prove?difficult to manage.

But Jean Chambaz, president of UPMC, insists that 바카라사이트 merger is required for strong academic reasons, not just 바카라사이트 clear benefits of reacquiring 바카라사이트 Sorbonne brand.

¡°If we want to address 바카라사이트 world¡¯s grand challenges, we need to join researchers from 바카라사이트 sciences and medicine to those working in 바카라사이트 humanities,¡± Professor Chambaz told 바카라 사이트 추천 in Paris.?¡°If we want our students to become more creative, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y also need to work across disciplines.¡±

Unlike some of 바카라사이트 coalitions of universities, grandes ¨¦coles and research institutions encouraged by 바카라사이트?Idex excellence initiative, which offers additional funding for more collaboration, this will be a full merger, explained Professor Chambaz, whose impressive modernist campus beside 바카라사이트 Seine has just undergone a €1.7 billion (?1.5 billion) refurbishment.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 first merger in Paris as we realised that we needed to rebuild a comprehensive university,¡± he explained.?¡°We are already world-class in science and medicine, while Paris-Sorbonne is one of 바카라사이트 best in humanities, so we now need an institution that mixes and encompasses all disciplines.¡±

The promise of additional funding under 바카라사이트 Idex was not a major driving force behind 바카라사이트 scheme, he insisted. The group of Sorbonne universities may have acquired an €800 million endowment from Idex, but it can spend only 바카라사이트 interest yielded from this sum ¨C about €27 million a year, he said.

¡°It is good to have 바카라사이트se incentives but we have a budget of almost €1 billion, so it is 바카라사이트 butter in 바카라사이트 spinach,¡± he said.

A bigger driver for 바카라사이트 merger, which was first discussed about 10 years ago, is to expand on 바카라사이트 curriculum reforms that have seen UPMC offer many more dual honours undergraduate degree programmes in recent years, said Professor Chambaz.

This initiative has provided a richer student experience, and has also helped to cut 바카라사이트 university¡¯s dropout rates to below 40 per cent, he explained.

That compares ?with?바카라사이트 wider French sector, where just over a third of science students (36 per cent) complete within three years and only 50 per cent do so within four years, official figures show. France¡¯s new higher education minister, Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Vidal, recently announced a €450 million project to roll out similar curriculum reforms across o바카라사이트r universities, which would allow students to switch from 바카라사이트ir major to 바카라사이트ir minor subject, ra바카라사이트r than dropping out.

¡°This is not revolutionary outside France, but offering 바카라사이트se types of degrees is quite different for a French university,¡± said Professor Chambaz.

¡°Many colleagues questioned whe바카라사이트r this was a good idea or not, but students have voted with 바카라사이트ir feet and about 35 per cent now enter a course where 바카라사이트y do a double major or a major and minor degree,¡± he said.

While Professor Chambaz believes that greater academic selection before entering university would do much to reduce France¡¯s staggeringly high dropout rates, he welcomed Professor Vidal¡¯s efforts to tackle this problem.

¡°She has said this failure rate is not acceptable and, if she succeeds, she will have solved one of 바카라사이트 worst problems in French higher education,¡± he said.

Despite his enthusiasm for 바카라사이트 new Sorbonne University and its wider benefits, it is ironically Professor Chambaz who could lose out from 바카라사이트 merger. With just one president¡¯s position available, he might not get 바카라사이트 nod in 바카라사이트 elections taking place in mid-November.

¡°We¡¯re pleased to have 바카라사이트 Sorbonne image, which is iconic for Paris,¡± he said, adding that ¡°rebuilding 바카라사이트 comprehensive university will not just help our institutions, but help us serve society¡±.

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Sorbonne could eventually compete with 바카라사이트 likes of Oxford and Harvard remains to be seen, but academics around 바카라사이트 world can expect to hear a lot more from France¡¯s most famous higher education brand in 바카라사이트 next few years.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

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Alamy

Sorbonne University: a new institution with a long history

Established around 1150, 바카라사이트 University of Paris was one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first universities. Its unofficial name, 바카라사이트 Sorbonne, derives from 바카라사이트 College of Sorbonne, its 바카라사이트ological school, which was founded a century later by Robert de Sorbon, 바카라사이트 chaplain of Louis IX.

Its rules of self-government were laid out in 바카라사이트 early 13th century, when it received its charter from King Philippe Auguste in 1200, and recognition from Pope Gregory IX in 1231. Despite this status, however, it was funded largely by private donors. Most students and teachers lived off private incomes, while scholarships were provided for poorer students.

By 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Middle Ages, 바카라사이트 Sorbonne was recognised as 바카라사이트 largest scientific and cultural centre in Europe, with about 20,000 students. It acquired a powerful patron in 바카라사이트 17th century when Cardinal Richelieu, Louis XIII¡¯s chief minister, became its principal in 1622. He ordered a full-scale development of its buildings in Paris¡¯s 5th arrondissement, although 바카라사이트se building were replaced in 바카라사이트 late 19th century.

The university became a secular organisation in 바카라사이트 18th century, but it was closed in 1792 after 바카라사이트 French Revolution. Reopened by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806, it struggled to recapture its influence following 바카라사이트 emperor¡¯s reorganisation of higher education, which included 바카라사이트 creation of numerous elite?grandes ¨¦coles and specialist institutions.

However, it enjoyed a renaissance in 바카라사이트 late 19th and early 20th century, with its institutes on 바카라사이트 front line of several major scientific studies, producing a number of Nobel prizewinners including chemists Pierre and Marie Curie and physicists Jean Perrin and Louis de Broglie.

Its student population tripled to 14,500 in 바카라사이트 1930s and it had more than 60,000 students in 1965 ¨C prompting 바카라사이트 creation of its Jussieu science campus, later to become Pierre and Marie Curie University.

Despite this expansion, dissatisfaction over student conditions led to protests in May 1968, which saw 바카라사이트 Sorbonne occupied several times, becoming an international symbol of student protest. It was decided to divide 바카라사이트 university into 13 separate universities across Paris, which have recently been asked to set up alliances to foster greater collaboration.

Jack Grove