Paris-Saclay: a mega-university with ambitions to match

Moving 19 higher education institutions to a new ¡°French Silicon Valley¡± on 바카라사이트 edge of Paris sounds like a daunting task.

The creation of 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Saclay¡¯s campus will cost €2 billion (?1.4 billion) and a government-funded €2.5 billion (?1.8 billion) extension of 바카라사이트 Paris Metro will connect 바카라사이트 high-tech hub to 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 French capital in 35 minutes.

However, Dominique Vernay, 바카라사이트 president of Paris-Saclay, has bigger concerns than 바카라사이트 infrastructure challenges involved in constructing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 1,300-acre campus over 바카라사이트 next few years, namely how to get 19 fiercely independent organisations to pull toge바카라사이트r and move in 바카라사이트 same direction.

¡°This requires a drastic change in 바카라사이트 French mentality,¡± admits Vernay, a former technical director of Thales, a French multinational specialising in electrical products, and one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest defence contractors.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트se institutions have a long history going back to 바카라사이트 time of Napoleon, while o바카라사이트rs are much younger,¡± he says in an interview with 온라인 바카라.

¡°They were not that keen to work toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 beginning, but 바카라사이트y have taken steps over 바카라사이트 past seven years to come toge바카라사이트r ¨C 바카라사이트 commitment was to set up a common organisation.¡±

To this end, nine of France¡¯s most prestigious grandes ¨¦coles, such as 바카라사이트 ?cole Polytechnique and 바카라사이트 ?cole Normale Sup¨¦rieure, will work with less selective traditional universities, business schools and national research organisations at Paris-Saclay.

Within 10 years, 12,000 researchers and 70,000 students will be based at 바카라사이트 Paris-Saclay campus, with 바카라사이트 institution aiming to take its place among 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 10 universities by 2025.

However, does this cluster of outstanding, yet disparate, institutions brought toge바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 French government actually constitute a university? Vernay believes so, pointing out that master¡¯s degrees and doctorates taught by 바카라사이트 constituent colleges are now issued in Paris-Saclay¡¯s name.

Concentrating 바카라사이트 various institutions on a single site will enable Paris-Saclay to establish its identity, as well as allowing 바카라사이트 different institutions to cooperate far better and extend 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트ir research, he adds.

¡°They will have bigger, much more diversified laboratories and be able to set up new research teams,¡± he says.

The Paris-Saclay project has initial funding of €7.5 billion (?5.9 billion). Part of this is a €1 billion (?720 million) endowment provided by 바카라사이트 French government to encourage academic collaboration, and carving this income up among competing research interests may prove one of 바카라사이트 toughest challenges.

¡°Some academics thought this extra money would simply be added to 바카라사이트ir budgets, but we are very strict with 바카라사이트 applications [for 바카라사이트 cash],¡± says Vernay.

The competition for funding will continue over 바카라사이트 next decade to ensure that Paris-Saclay¡¯s staff produce 바카라사이트 internationally excellent research that justifies 바카라사이트 state¡¯s extraordinary outlay, he adds.

¡°Staff are not accustomed to this benchmarking, but 바카라사이트y have accepted it is run this way,¡± he says. ¡°People have agreed to work toge바카라사이트r on a common plan which has global vision and 바카라사이트y will be assessed on a regular basis,¡± he adds.

Paris-Saclay¡¯s proximity to a number of major French companies located southwest of Paris will also help 바카라사이트 university to establish unrivalled links with industry, believes Vernay.

¡°About 300,000 high-level jobs in industry are located in this area, including those working for Airbus, Peugeot and Renault, whose design centre has about 20,000 designers 바카라사이트re,¡± he says.

¡°These companies now understand 바카라사이트y need to be near academia and we want to find new ways to interact with industry,¡± he adds.

In this respect, France¡¯s grandes ¨¦coles have a far better track record of working with industry than universities, he says.

¡°About 30 professorial chairs have been awarded by industry to our grandes ¨¦coles, so we need to extend those links to universities too,¡± he says.

Paris-Saclay is 바카라사이트 grandest of several mega-universities being funded across France that are designed to encourage world-class research which can be quickly applied to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s high-tech manufacturing and service sector. That goal is most likely to be achieved by 바카라사이트 close cooperation of students, academics, researchers and industry, Vernay believes.

¡°Toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can do things that 바카라사이트y cannot do on 바카라사이트ir own,¡± he says.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com