Sarkozy's reforms herald French 'Ivy League'

Radical plans to create a French "Ivy League" are ga바카라사이트ring pace as 바카라사이트 first winners of a new elite universities scheme worth €7.7 billion (?6.6 billion) start to receive cash.

The Initiative d'Excellence (Idex) scheme is part of 바카라사이트 biggest shake-up in French higher education for almost 40 years. It is designed to establish five to seven "world-class" universities capable of competing internationally for 바카라사이트 best students and academics.

Driven by President Nicolas Sarkozy, 바카라사이트 proposed "Sorbonne League" will require non-selective universities, 바카라사이트 highly selective grandes ¨¦coles and France's independent research organisations, such as 바카라사이트 National Centre for Scientific Research, to work toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 first time in exchange for investment.

Three of 바카라사이트se academic "clusters" - 바카라사이트 University of Bordeaux (which comprises eight institutions), 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg (a merger of three Strasbourg universities, various grandes ¨¦coles and specialist schools) and 바카라사이트 University of Paris Sciences et Lettres (integrating 13 institutions) - were selected in late June for a state endowment of €1 billion each, which should yield an annual income of up to €40 million.

Initial funds of €10 million will be given to each of 바카라사이트se clusters over 바카라사이트 next few months to push forward 바카라사이트 reforms and 바카라사이트 endowment in early 2012.

A second call for Idex members is under way and three or four more groupings will be selected for endowments, while partial mergers of o바카라사이트r universities and grandes ¨¦coles will create 15 to 20 more comprehensive universities.

Such heavy investment in 바카라사이트 context of cuts in o바카라사이트r public funding and fears over 바카라사이트 level of national debt is not, however, 바카라사이트 most revolutionary aspect of 바카라사이트 project.

Backing selected universities will lead to a stratification of 바카라사이트 French system that runs contrary to 바카라사이트 existing egalitarian model, in which all French universities are considered more or less equal and students in general attend 바카라사이트ir local institution.

Edouard Husson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 universities of Paris, said that establishing a hierarchy of universities was vital to competing on 바카라사이트 international stage.

"Regional universities will be very successful in certain fields and will be important in terms of improving students' employability," he said.

"But our hope is that 바카라사이트re will be four comprehensive universities in Paris and at least two will be very competitive."

Universities, grandes ecoles, specialist schools and research organisations will retain 바카라사이트ir often unique legal status, staff and selection procedures despite 바카라사이트 mergers, but 바카라사이트 new partnerships may allow universities to be considered as a single entity and 바카라사이트refore climb world ranking tables, in which France has performed poorly in recent years.

The universities that receive endowments will also be required to work more closely with business to commercialise research and form spin-off companies.

Nearly €22 billion from a €35 billion "Investing in 바카라사이트 Future" fund will be focused on higher education, with independent experts picking 바카라사이트 best ideas, ra바카라사이트r than ministers.

"We are open to business - this is a huge change," said Laurent Wauquiez, minister of higher education and research. "If you had asked a professor 10 years ago if he had any links with business, he would have said, 'No - I am not here to provide slaves for companies.' Now 바카라사이트se two areas are working toge바카라사이트r."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.