ENSTA Paris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
ENSTA Paris

École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées
Former names	École Nationale Supérieure du Génie Maritime
Type	Grande école d'ingénieurs (public research university Engineering school); under military supervision
Established	1741; 284 years ago (1741)
Parent institution	Polytechnic Institute of Paris
President	Elisabeth CREPON
Academic staff	180 permanent; 650 temporary
Students	897 (2017)
Postgraduates	777 (2017)
Doctoral students	120 (2017)
Location	Palaiseau , France
Affiliations	Conférence des Grandes écoles

ENSTA Paris, whose full name in French means "National Higher School of Advanced Techniques," is a famous engineering school in France. It was started way back in 1741, making it the oldest "Grande École" in the country. An engineering school teaches students how to design, build, and maintain different things, from machines to computer systems.

ENSTA Paris is located in Palaiseau, a town south of Paris, on the Paris-Saclay campus. It is part of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris, which is a group of top French engineering schools. In 2021, 180 engineers finished their studies and graduated from ENSTA Paris.

History of ENSTA Paris

How the School Started

The idea for ENSTA Paris came from a man named Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau. He was an inspector for the French Navy. He realized that the Navy's shipbuilders, called master carpenters, needed to learn more about math and physics. These subjects were becoming very important for understanding how to build better ships.

So, in 1741, Duhamel du Monceau opened the first school in his own home in Paris. This is the year ENSTA Paris officially began. The school moved a few times, first to the royal library in 1748, and then to the Louvre Palace in 1753.

Changes Over the Years

The school had to close in 1759 during a big war called the Seven Years' War. But in 1765, Duhamel du Monceau convinced a powerful leader, the duc de Choiseul, to reopen it. It became part of a major plan to improve the French Navy. Duhamel du Monceau continued to lead the school for the rest of his life.

The school, then known as the "School of Student Engineer Constructors," closed again in 1793 during the French Revolution. It reopened in 1795 as a place for students from the Ecole Polytechnique to get practical training. Later, it was called the "National Higher College of Maritime Engineering."

Modern ENSTA Paris

In 1970, the French Ministry of Defence's arms administration combined this school with three other special schools. These included schools for explosives, arms engineering, and hydrography (mapping water areas). This merger created the modern ENSTA, which stands for "École nationale supérieure de Techniques avancées."

Today, ENSTA Paris trains engineers in many areas, like naval (ships), mechanical (machines), nuclear, chemical, and electronic fields. The school is overseen by the Ministry of Defence and is led by a general officer.

ENSTA Paris Rankings

National Rankings

ENSTA Paris is highly regarded in France. Here's how it has been ranked nationally for its Master of Sciences in Engineering program:

International Rankings

When ranked internationally, ENSTA Paris is often included as part of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. These rankings show how it compares to universities around the world.

Academics at ENSTA Paris

What is a Grande École?

ENSTA Paris is a "Grande École" (pronounced "Grahnd Eh-kohl"). In France, these are special higher education schools that are separate from the main public university system. Think of them like very selective, top-tier schools in other countries, such as the Ivy League in the United States.

Grandes Écoles are known for being very competitive to get into. They usually have smaller class sizes than regular universities. Many of their programs are taught in English. While some Grandes Écoles can be expensive, ENSTA Paris charges the same tuition fees as public universities in France. For example, in 2021/2022, the master's degree fee was €243 per year.

Students at Grandes Écoles often get chances to do internships abroad or study in other countries. These schools also have strong connections with the government and big companies. Degrees from ENSTA Paris are officially recognized by the French Ministry of National Education. Many graduates from ENSTA Paris go on to hold important jobs in government, administration, and businesses in France.

Degrees Offered

ENSTA Paris offers several advanced degrees for students who want to become engineers or specialize in certain fields. These include:

• Diplôme d'Ingénieur de l'ENSTA Paris (which is like a Master of Sciences in Engineering)
• Master's degree in Nuclear Plant Design (learning to design power plants)
• Master's degree in Acoustical engineering (studying sound and vibrations)
• Master's degree in Maritime engineering: transport systems and offshore energies (designing things for the sea, like ships or energy platforms)
• Master's degree in Operational research (using math to make better decisions)
• Master's degree in Analysis, modeling, simulation (creating computer models to understand complex systems)
• Master's degree in Consulting in Organization, Strategy (helping companies improve)
• Master's degree in Cyber-physical systems design (designing systems that combine computers and physical parts)
• Master's degree in Processes, energy, environment (studying how things are made, energy use, and protecting the environment)
• Mastère Spécialisé Maritime Engineering: transport, energy, sustainable development
• Mastère Spécialisé Architecture and security of information systems (designing secure computer systems)
• Mastère Spécialisé Design and Exploitation of Autonomous Maritime System (working with self-driving boats or underwater vehicles)
• Mastère Spécialisé Project Manager in charging infrastructure and electric vehicles (managing projects for electric cars and their charging stations)
• Mastère Spécialisé Engineering of Localization Systems and Multi-Sensors (designing systems that know where things are, like GPS)

Notable Alumni

Many talented people have studied at ENSTA Paris and gone on to do amazing things in different fields.

Military and Politics

• Alain Bouquin, a General Commander of the French Foreign Legion
• Eugène Deloncle
• Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud
• Guillaume Delcourt
• Fatim-Zahra Ammor, a Moroccan Minister

Engineering and Industry

• Louis-Émile Bertin
• Valérie Cornetet
• Henri Dupuy de Lôme
• Jacques-Noël Sané
• Léonce Verny
• Ernest Mercier, a former President of Alstom (a big company that builds trains and power plants)
• Jerome Guillen, President of Automotive at Tesla, Inc. (a company famous for electric cars)

Chemistry

• Paul Marie Eugène Vieille

Physics

• Gérard Albert Mourou, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018
• François Forget, an Astrophysicist and Member of the French Academy of Sciences
• Paul-Henri Rebut, a Physicist who designed and directed the JET nuclear fusion facility

Mathematics

• Charles Dupin

Computer Science

• François Chollet

See also

In Spanish: École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées para niños