École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris

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Coordinates: 48°50′29″N 2°20′49″E / 48.84139, 2.34694 The École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris or ESPCI (Higher School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry of the City of Paris) is a chemistry and physics engineering college run by the city of Paris, France and a member of ParisTech (Paris Institute of Technology). It conducts high level research in those fields.

The students enter the School after an examination (concours Ecole Polytechnique-ESPCI) following at least two years of Classes Préparatoires. They are called Pécéen or PC1(boys) and Pécéenne or PCN(girls). The School itself is also known as Physique-Chimie or simply PC.

Contents

History

At the end of the 19th century, following the annexion of Alsace and Lorraine by Germany, France lost the Ecole de Chimie de Mulhouse (Mulhouse Chemistry School), which was at that time the best Chemistry school in the country. One of its professors, Charles Lauth, starting in 1878, obtained from the public administration the creation of a Grande Ecole.

In 1882 the Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris was established and became the ESPCI, the current name, in 1948. Since its foundation, the founders of the school have been insisting on the pluridisciplinarity of the courses available. Biology was introduced in 1994. Studying at the ESPCI is free of charge as the counsel of Paris voted.

After its establishement, the School became rapidely a meeting spot for the best scientists. From 1880 on, Pierre and Jacques Curie started a serie of research on crystal electrical properties that led to the piezoelectricity discovery. At the end of the year 1897, Marie Curie started her work on uranic beaming discovered by Becquerel one year yearlier. After numerous experiments in the ESPCI laboratories, she found out that pechblende was 45 times more radioactive than uranium or thorium. In July 1898, the Curies announced the discovery of polonium and in December of the same year that of radium. Pierre and Marie Curie received the Physics Nobel Prize in 1903. After the death of her husband, Marie Curie was granted the Chemistry Nobel Prize in 1911.

Many former students have distinguished themselves, amongst which there are Georges Claude(5th year), founder of Air Liquide, Paul Langevin (7th year), physicist and inventor and Frédéric Joliot-Curie (39th year), founder of the CEA and Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 with his wife Irène.

In 1976, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes became Director of the School (Nobel Prize 1991).

Education

The course of study lasts four years. The two first years are devoted to giving the students a strong basic education in Physics, Chemistry and in Biology. During the third year, the students perform an industrial internship and research projects in laboratories. The students can major in Physics, Chemistry or Physico-chemistry. During the fourth year, the students can either start doctoral studies or do a master abroad. They can also complete their education in various application schools (master for engineers). In 2002 a master program in Bioengineering was created.

The engineering practical training program is based on the industrial intership at the beginning of the third year, the projects in laboratories during the last two years, lectures on recruitment process and social economics at the beginning of the fourth year. The compulsory industrial internship, which lasts from 4 to 6 months, has a huge importance. More than 50% of the students do their internship abroad, in European countries, the United-States, Japan, China, Australia...

The quality of the education given in the ESPCI enables its studients to work in any industrial sectors (Telecommunication, Computing, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Biology...), mostly in Research and Development (47% in R&D, 10% in Production, 10% in Consultancy, 5% in Environment, 3% in Teaching, 3% in Computing, 22% in other fields such as Marketing, Management...).

5 researchers from ESPCI have received the Nobel Prize:

Admission

Candidates to the competitive examination must have their baccalauréat or an equivalent diploma. They must be over 17 year-old and under 22 year-old the 1st January of the examination year. Foreign candidates must be under 26 year-old and can attempt this examination only three times.

The written, oral and sporting tests are strictly the same as for the Ecole Polytechnique but coefficients are different.

It is also possible for students from Universities to enter the School. They must have first class honour. They are selected according to their academic results.


Quotes

"Taking a series of intelligent steps our former Director, the Nobel laureate Pierre-Gilles de Gennes has boosted the activity of ESPCI at the best world level. The very interdisciplinary education of the student engineers in Physics, Chemistry and Biology is deeply rooted in experimental practice balanced with a high theoretical level. Through intense work, we train genuine innovation professionals, with acute knowledge of our surrounding and able to irrigate industry or academic worlds in both traditional and emerging sectors of activity. The directions set by the Curies, Charpak and de Gennes are being actively followed."

Jacques PROST, General Director of ESPCI

"The City of Paris Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution, (ESPCI), is one of the most outstanding French institution that enhances the prestige and renown of our capital in the field of science. It has always been committed to maintaining the highest level of original and innovative research. At the same time it provides education and training in keeping with the expectations and requirements of the business world. Today, as industrialists are confronted with needs that span a wide range of disciplines, ESPCI is able to provide a variety of training and research options and cater to new sectors such as health, environment and imaging, thus proving that it can keep abreast with the changing demands of the business world."

Bertrand DELANOË, Mayor of Paris

These quotes are from the ESPCI website.

Directors of the ESPCI

Notable alumni

Laboratories

ESPCI hosts numerous laboratories:

External links

Wikipedia content modification information:

  • This page was last modified on 16 December 2008, at 20:23.

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