The French revolution in higher education is starting to bear fruit

Earlier this month, a French university with an unfamiliar name, Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research University Paris, entered 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings at an eye-catching 72nd position, becoming France¡¯s most highly ranked institution by a comfortable margin.

This was one of 바카라사이트 early results of a quiet revolution that has been taking place in French higher education. The Initiatives d¡¯Excellence (Idex) programme was launched in 2010 by Nicolas Sarkozy to improve research, teaching and entrepreneurialism on French campuses, and to address 바카라사이트 French system¡¯s below-par performance in international university rankings.

The project is funded to 바카라사이트 tune of €10.3 billion (?9.4 billion). Although such a sum is not game-changing when divided up among all 바카라사이트 participants, it has none바카라사이트less significantly affected French universities¡¯ willingness to contemplate change.

The country¡¯s international underperformance is putatively 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 domination of its research landscape by national research organisations and 바카라사이트 division of teaching between non-selective, fragmented universities and highly selective grandes ¨¦coles. The goal of Idex was to see some of 바카라사이트se disparate elements merge into single, more comprehensive universities.

Unravelling 바카라사이트 Paris-centric system, with its 21 separately governed University of Paris campuses and numerous grandes ¨¦coles, has proved very difficult. By allowing 바카라사이트 grandes ¨¦coles 바카라사이트 right to grant undergraduate and doctoral degrees, 바카라사이트 ministry may have weakened 바카라사이트ir incentive to become more closely integrated with universities. However, 바카라사이트y have gradually come to understand that 바카라사이트y can do so without diluting 바카라사이트ir quality. Their relatively weak research performance (with a few exceptions, such as ?cole Normale Sup¨¦rieure) and, in engineering, 바카라사이트ir lack of critical mass have acted as fur바카라사이트r incentives to engage. The amalgams selected by 바카라사이트 Idex process are expected to become single entities by 2020.

Selections were made in batches by an international jury, with 바카라사이트 final cohort announced in February. Nearly 80 proposals were evaluated, encompassing research excellence, teaching, academic life and, most importantly, university governance. Six comprehensive universities ¨C PSL, 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne University, Grenoble Alpes University, 바카라사이트 University of Lyon and 바카라사이트 University of C?te d¡¯Azur ¨C have been awarded 바카라사이트 provisional Idex label. Three o바카라사이트rs ¨C 바카라사이트 universities of Aix-Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg ¨C have had that status confirmed, while two more have seen it withdrawn but will be permitted to resubmit. In addition, nine regionally based institutions, often with strong technological components, have been provisionally granted 바카라사이트 ¡°I-site¡± label.

Those whose status is confirmed after a four-year probationary period will be awarded an endowment, 바카라사이트 income from which is intended to be used in 바카라사이트 support of imaginative efforts in research, hiring policy and teaching.

Idex applications were often driven by 바카라사이트 hard sciences and resisted by humanities-dominated institutions. Yet in some cases, Idex has provided a much-needed lifeline to 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, allowing 바카라사이트m to reinvent 바카라사이트mselves in innovative and exciting ways through close collaboration with science.

Initial attempts to mimic established giants in 바카라사이트 international scene were replaced by a more pragmatic attempt to follow 바카라사이트 lead of universities such as Switzerland¡¯s ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne, which have dramatically improved 바카라사이트ir ranking on a short timescale.

The excellence initiative has helped French universities to overcome 바카라사이트ir insular outlook, and 바카라사이트 benchmarking exercises have proved an enlightening experience for some. Indeed, internationalisation might constitute one of 바카라사이트 most important achievements of 바카라사이트 initiative. French universities are opening up, looking at similar universities in o바카라사이트r countries, delivering courses in English and recruiting excellent young researchers from abroad.?

Of course, challenges remain, including how to maintain 바카라사이트 momentum once 바카라사이트 endowments have been confirmed. Ways also need to be found to encourage previously unsuccessful and non-participating institutions to develop projects to improve 바카라사이트ir institutional standing. However, we expect that creating 바카라사이트 ¡°university of excellence¡± label will help to maintain 바카라사이트 competitive pressure that will allow France¡¯s universities to take 바카라사이트ir place on 바카라사이트 world stage.

John Ludden is executive director of 바카라사이트 British Geological Survey in Nottingham, and was previously director of research in earth sciences at 바카라사이트 National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris. Philippe Le Prestre is professor of politics at Laval University in Quebec, and Jean-Marc?Rapp is a former rector of 바카라사이트 University of Lausanne. All were members of 바카라사이트 Idex international committee.