CentraleSupélec facts for kids
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| Type | Education - Research Grand établissement Grande École |
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| Established | 1829 (École Centrale Paris) 1894 (Supélec) 2015 : merger of both schools |
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Parent institution
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Paris-Saclay University |
| Budget | € 100 million |
| President | Romain Soubeyran |
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Academic staff
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852 |
| Postgraduates | 5,350 (1,000 Engineers/year) |
| Location | , |
| Affiliations | Université Paris-Saclay, TIME, CESAER |
| Website | www.centralesupelec.fr |
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CentraleSupélec (CS) is one of the most famous and selective engineering schools in France. It is part of the Paris-Saclay University in Gif-sur-Yvette, France. This school was created on January 1, 2015, when two other well-known French schools, École Centrale Paris and Supélec, joined together.
CentraleSupélec is known as one of the best engineering schools in France and Europe. It's quite hard to get into, with only about 6 to 8% of applicants being accepted in 2019. It is also an important founding member of the Paris-Saclay University. CentraleSupélec is also part of the TIME network and the CESAER association, which connect top engineering schools across Europe.
Contents
History of CentraleSupélec
CentraleSupélec was formed by combining two very old and respected engineering schools. Let's learn about their individual stories.
École Centrale Paris: A Look Back
École Centrale Paris was started in 1829. A person named Alphonse Lavallée helped fund it. Three scientists, Eugène Peclet, Jean-Baptiste Dumas, and Théodore Olivier, also played a big part.
Their main idea was to teach "industrial science." This meant applying new scientific discoveries to real-world problems. They wanted to train engineers who could lead the growing industries. The school was given to the French government in 1857. Over the years, it moved to different locations, finally settling in its current spot in 2015.
Supélec: Its Beginnings
Supélec was founded later, in 1894. It was started by Eleuthère Mascart, a famous academic. He wanted to train engineers for the fast-growing electrical industry.
Supélec also moved several times. It started in Paris, then moved to Malakoff and Gif-sur-Yvette in 1975. The Gif-sur-Yvette campus is still the main one today. Later, two more campuses were opened: one in Rennes in 1972 and another in Metz in 1985.
The CentraleSupélec Alliance
In December 2008, École Centrale Paris and Supélec decided to work together. This partnership became known as CentraleSupélec. In 2013, Hervé Biausser became the director of both schools. Today, CentraleSupélec has three campuses in France: Gif-sur-Yvette, Metz, and Rennes.
Part of Paris-Saclay University
Since 2008, both École Centrale Paris and Supélec have been involved in creating the Paris-Saclay University. This is a large French research university. Its goal is to become one of the top universities in Europe.
CentraleSupélec is a key part of this big university. Paris-Saclay University was ranked 14th in the world in 2020. It was even ranked first globally for Mathematics and ninth for Physics.
How to Join CentraleSupélec
Admission Process
Most students who join CentraleSupélec for their engineering degree come from special French programs. These are called "classes préparatoires." They are tough two or three-year programs after high school. Students focus on subjects like Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering.
CentraleSupélec offers many spots in these programs. For example, 142 spots are for Math and Physics students. Getting in is competitive, with acceptance rates around 6-8% for these programs. The school also accepts top students from partner universities around the world. Some graduates from French public universities can also join.
Before 2018, students would join either the Centralien or Supélec engineering programs. Now, all engineering students admitted from 2018 onwards are in a single, "unified" program. This means they all graduate with the same engineering degree.
School Rankings
| University rankings | |
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| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World | 14 (2020) |
CentraleSupélec is known as one of France's top engineering schools. Some rankings place it just below Polytechnique, another famous school. Studies show that graduates from CentraleSupélec often earn some of the highest salaries in France. As part of Paris-Saclay University, it was ranked 14th globally in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Famous People Who Studied Here
Many successful people have graduated from CentraleSupélec or its founding schools. Here are a few:
- Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna (a company that makes medicines)
- Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis (a big car company)
- Olivier Pomel and Alexis Lê-Quôc, who started Datadog (a tech company)
- Sergei Bernstein, a famous mathematician
- Boris Vian, a writer, poet, and musician
- Gustave Eiffel, the architect who designed the Eiffel Tower
- André Michelin, who founded Michelin tires and created the Michelin Guide for restaurants
See also
In Spanish: CentraleSupélec para niños
