ESPCI Paris Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
ESPCI Paris – PSL

Type	Public Grande École
Established	1882
Academic affiliation	PSL Research University
Location	Paris , France
Campus	5th arrondissement of Paris
Affiliations	ParisTech IDEA League ASTech
Website	ESPCI Paris

ESPCI Paris is a famous science and engineering school in Paris, France. Its full name is the École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris. It was started in 1882 by the city of Paris.

This school teaches students about physics, chemistry, and biology. It also does a lot of important research in these areas. ESPCI Paris is known as one of the best engineering schools in France. It is part of Université PSL and a member of the ParisTech group.

Many students get into ESPCI Paris through a tough exam. Others are chosen based on their applications. The school works with many companies like Schlumberger and TotalEnergies. These companies support students and research projects.

A Look Back: The History of ESPCI Paris
- Famous Discoveries and Scientists
What Students Learn at ESPCI Paris
How to Get Into ESPCI Paris
Leaders of ESPCI Paris
Notable Teachers at ESPCI Paris
Famous People Who Studied at ESPCI Paris
Research Laboratories at ESPCI Paris
The ESPCI Paris International Scientific Committee
See also

A Look Back: The History of ESPCI Paris

ESPCI Paris was founded in 1882. At that time, France had lost a top chemistry school to Germany. So, a professor named Charles Lauth helped create this new school. It was first called the École Supérieure de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris. In 1948, it got its current name, ESPCI.

From the start, the school wanted students to learn many different sciences. Biology was added to the studies in 1994. There are no tuition fees to study at ESPCI.

Famous Discoveries and Scientists

ESPCI Paris quickly became a place for brilliant scientists. In the 1880s, Pierre Curie and Jacques Curie worked there. They discovered piezoelectricity, which is how some crystals can create electricity when squeezed.

Later, in 1897, Marie Curie began her research at ESPCI. She studied rays from uranium. In the school's labs, she found that a mineral called pitchblende was much more radioactive than uranium. In 1898, the Curies announced they had found two new elements: polonium and radium.

Pierre and Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. After Pierre's death, Marie Curie won another Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.

Many other important scientists studied at ESPCI. These include:

Georges Claude, who started the company Air Liquide.
Paul Langevin, a physicist and inventor.
Frédéric Joliot-Curie, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 with his wife Irène Joliot-Curie. He also founded the CEA, a French atomic energy commission.

From 1976 to 2002, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes was the director of the school. He also won a Nobel Prize in 1991.

The school's buildings and labs are being updated. This big project started in 2018 and was finished in 2023.

What Students Learn at ESPCI Paris

The study program at ESPCI Paris lasts four years.

The first two years give students a strong base in physics, chemistry, and biology. Students can choose to focus on physics, chemistry, or both. They also work on research projects in labs.
In the third year, students do an internship at a company. This lasts about 4 to 6 months. More than half of the students do their internships in other countries. They go to places like Europe, the United States, Japan, China, and Australia.
In the fourth year, students can start working on their PhDs or get a master's degree. They can do this in France or abroad. A master's program in bioengineering was started in 2002.

The education at ESPCI helps students work in many different industries. These include telecommunications, computing, chemistry, and biology. Many graduates work in research and development (R&D).

How to Get Into ESPCI Paris

Most students (about 60 out of 90 each year) get into ESPCI Paris through a tough exam. This exam is for students who have completed two years of special "Preparatory Classes" in Physics and Chemistry. The exams are similar to those for the famous Ecole Polytechnique.

Students taking the exam must be between 17 and 22 years old. International students can be up to 26 years old.

It's also possible for students from other science preparatory classes or French universities to apply. These students are chosen based on their excellent grades.

Leaders of ESPCI Paris

Here are some of the people who have led ESPCI Paris:

Paul Schützenberger (1882–1896)
Charles Lauth (1897–1904)
Albin Haller (1905–1924)
Paul Langevin (1925–1946)
René Lucas (1947–1968)
Georges Champetier (1969–1975)
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (1976–2003), a Nobel Prize winner
Jacques Prost (2003–2013)
Jean-François Joanny (2013–2019)
Vincent Croquette (since 2019)

Notable Teachers at ESPCI Paris

Many talented scientists teach at ESPCI Paris. Some of them are:

Jérôme Bibette, who started five companies.
Georges Charpak, a Nobel Prize winner.
Mathias Fink, who is also a professor at the Collège de France. He founded several companies.
Ludwik Leibler, a professor who studies soft materials.
Jacques Lewiner, who founded several technology companies.

Famous People Who Studied at ESPCI Paris

ESPCI Paris has many successful alumni. Here are a few:

Paul Lebeau, a chemist.
Georges Claude, founder of Air Liquide.
Paul Langevin, a physicist.
Georges Urbain, who discovered the element Lutetium.
André-Louis Debierne, who discovered the element Actinium.
Frédéric Joliot, a Nobel Prize winner and founder of the CEA.
Pierre Gy, a chemist and statistician.
Philippe Dreyfus, a pioneer in computer science.
Christian Reinaudo, President of Agfa HealthCare.
Hervé This, a physical chemist known for molecular gastronomy.
Éric Carreel, co-founder of Withings, Sculpteo, and Invoxia.
Isabelle Guyon, a researcher in machine learning.

Research Laboratories at ESPCI Paris

ESPCI Paris is home to many advanced research labs, including:

The Langevin Institute.
The Chemistry, Biology and Innovation Institute.
The Gulliver Laboratory.
The Physics and Materials Laboratory.
The Physics and Mechanics of Heterogeneous Media.
The Soft Matter and Chemistry Laboratory.
The Brain Plasticity Unit.
The Biological Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics lab.
The Sciences and Engineering of Soft Matter lab.

The ESPCI Paris International Scientific Committee

This committee helps guide the school's research. It includes top scientists from around the world.

The president is Professor Michael Cates from the University of Cambridge.
Members include professors from Hokkaido University, Florida State University, Yale University, University of Groningen, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Zurich.
It also includes leaders from companies like Saint-Gobain and Philips.

ESPCI Paris facts for kids

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