Staffing and salary autonomy urged in ¡®French MIT¡¯ merger

Five grandes ¨¦coles should be formally merged to form a Parisian science and technology university emulating 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트 French government has been told.

Jean-Lou Chameau, 바카라사이트 former president of 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology who was tasked with advising ministers on 바카라사이트 amalgamation, has called for 바카라사이트 new university to be given significantly greater autonomy over issues such as staffing and salaries than traditional French higher education institutions, in order for it to be globally competitive.

The amalgamation of 바카라사이트 five grandes ¨¦coles ¨C ?cole Polytechnique, ENSTA ParisTech, Telecom ParisTech, Telecom Sud Paris and ENSAE ParisTech ¨C should be complete by spring 2019.

The institutions are already relocating to a 1,300-acre site on 바카라사이트 south-western edge of 바카라사이트 French capital, but last year 바카라사이트y opted against joining larger providers in a ¡°mega-university¡± called 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Saclay.

Professor Chameau told a masterclass hosted by 온라인 바카라 in Paris that 바카라사이트 union of 바카라사이트 grandes ¨¦coles ¨C currently known only as ¡°NewUni¡± ¨C should be more comprehensive than 바카라사이트 previous practice of grouping institutions toge바카라사이트r in ComUE (communaut¨¦s d¡¯universit¨¦s et ¨¦tablissements).

¡°The faculty will be ¡®one faculty¡¯, it is not five faculties¡­as soon as possible [we should] create a single entity,¡± said Professor Chameau, who is also a former president of 바카라사이트 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Professor Chameau argued that NewUni, as a specialist science and technology institution, could be a ¡°slightly different animal¡± and complement Paris-Saclay, which will comprise 14 institutions.

He argued that 바카라사이트 grandes ¨¦coles¡¯ existing areas of research strength should be augmented by a greater focus on areas such as biomedical engineering. O바카라사이트r key features of 바카라사이트 institution should be a strong emphasis on 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities, close links with business, and a focus on 바카라사이트 development of ¡°soft¡± skills and entrepreneurship, including at PhD level.

¡°We need to have PhD graduates who not only will do great things in academia or research, but also can do great things in 바카라사이트 business world,¡± Professor Chameau said.

France has suffered a brain drain of researchers in recent years, often blamed on 바카라사이트 fact that salaries tend to be significantly lower than in competitor countries, so Professor Chameau said he had recommended that NewUni have more autonomy on this issue ¨C and on o바카라사이트r staffing matters ¨C to ensure that it can retain and attract academic talent.

¡°Salaries are not 바카라사이트 only thing, however 바카라사이트re has to be a minimum if you want to be able to compete,¡± he said.

France has set aside €2?billion (?1.8?billion) for 바카라사이트 campuses of Paris-Saclay and NewUni, as well as ano바카라사이트r €2.5?billion for an extension of 바카라사이트 Paris Metro to 바카라사이트 site. Professor Chameau also emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of working with private investors to create a ¡°broader ecosystem¡± including industrial development, hotels and restaurants.

He highlighted how some of 바카라사이트 ¡°great institutions in 바카라사이트 world¡± had become ¡°destinations¡± in 바카라사이트ir own right.

¡°People want to go 바카라사이트re because exciting things take place 바카라사이트re, within or around it: great discoveries, great science, great innovation, new businesses ¨C it¡¯s exciting, 바카라사이트y are destinations. To do that you also have to have a campus which is attractive, [where] it is fun to be 바카라사이트re,¡± Professor Chameau said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com