Sciences Po facts for kids
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Institut d'études politiques de Paris (French)
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| Latin: Institutum Scientiarum Politicarum Parisiense | |
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Other name
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Sciences Po |
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Former name
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École libre des sciences politiques |
| Motto |
French: Aux racines de l'avenir
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Motto in English
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Roots of the Future |
| Type | Public research university Grande école Grand établissement Institut d'études politiques |
| Established | 1872 |
| Founder | Émile Boutmy |
| Endowment | €127.2 million (2018) |
| Budget | €197 million (2018) |
| Chairperson | Laurence Bertrand Dorléac (FNSP) |
| President | Jean Bassères (Interim) |
| Provost | Sergei Guriev |
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Academic staff
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300 |
| Students | 15,000 |
| Undergraduates | 4,000 |
| Postgraduates | 10,000 |
| 350 | |
| Location |
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France
48°51′15″N 2°19′43″E / 48.85417°N 2.32861°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Language | French and English (official, university-wide) German (working language at the Nancy campus) Spanish (working language at the Poitiers campus) |
| Printing house | Sciences Po Press |
| Colours | Red White |
| Affiliations | CIVICA Sorbonne Paris Cité APSIA COUPERIN CGE |
| Mascot | The lion and the fox |
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Sciences Po is a famous university in Paris, France. It is also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies. It is a special kind of university in France called a grande école. Sciences Po helps students learn about many social sciences. These include political science, economics, law, and sociology.
The university started in 1872. It was founded by Émile Boutmy. He wanted to train new leaders for France after the Franco-Prussian War. At first, it was a private school. After World War II, it became a public institution. Today, many graduates from Sciences Po work in the private sector.
Sciences Po Paris is the only "Sciences Po" in France that can use the name without adding the city. Other similar schools must say their city, like "Sciences Po Lille". Sciences Po is part of important groups like the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA). It is also part of CIVICA, a European University of Social Sciences.
Contents
A Look at History
How Sciences Po Began (1872-1945)
Sciences Po was created in December 1871. It was first called the École libre des sciences politiques (ELSP). A group of French thinkers and leaders, led by Émile Boutmy, started it. They wanted to improve how France trained its political and diplomatic leaders. This was after France lost the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.
The school became very important in French politics. Many top government officials studied there. Sciences Po was a pioneer in teaching political science in France. Other countries later created similar schools. These included schools in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Sciences Po also played a role in France's colonial history. In 1886, it started a program to train students for jobs in colonial administration. Many teachers and staff at the school were connected to the colonial government.
Becoming a Public School (1945)
After World War II, Sciences Po changed a lot. In 1945, when France was freed from Nazi occupation, there were discussions about the school's future. Some people wanted to close it. However, many of the school's graduates had been important in the French Resistance.
To save the school, its leaders made changes. They created two separate parts:
- The Institut d'études politiques (Institute of Political Studies).
- The Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (National Foundation of Political Science), or FNSP.
Both parts work together to teach and spread knowledge in political science, economics, and sociology. The FNSP manages the school's buildings and money. This setup gives Sciences Po a special status. It gets money from the government but has a lot of freedom.
The government also created the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in 1945. This school trains top government officials. Sciences Po became the main place for students who wanted to get into ENA.
Growth and Modernization (1945-2020s)
Sciences Po grew a lot from 1947 to 1979 under Jacques Chapsal. It bought more buildings and started its own publishing company. In 1956, the school began offering PhD programs.
From the 1990s to 2012, Sciences Po added more subjects like law, economics, and sociology. It also became more international. All undergraduate students started spending a year studying abroad. The school also opened new campuses in different cities across France.
Sciences Po also changed how it accepted students. Before, it mainly used a tough exam. In 2001, it started a program to help talented students from less privileged backgrounds. This helped more students from different places attend Sciences Po.
More recently, the school has continued to grow. It created new graduate schools for public affairs, urban studies, and management. In 2016, Sciences Po bought a new large building in Paris, the Hôtel de l’Artillerie. This new facility opened in 2022.
Since 2021, Sciences Po has faced some leadership changes. New directors have been appointed to guide the university. In April 2024, the Paris campus became a center for student protests related to the Israel–Hamas war.
Campuses Across France
Sciences Po has seven campuses in France. Each campus focuses on a different part of the world. At the end of each school year, all seven campuses come together for a fun event called the Collegiades de Sciences Po. Students compete in sports and arts.
Paris Campus Details
The main campus is in Paris. It has several buildings in the 6th and 7th areas of the city. The oldest building, at 27 rue Saint-Guillaume, has been the main office and library since 1879. It also has the two largest teaching halls.
Other buildings in Paris include:
- 117, boulevard Saint-Germain: School of Journalism
- 199, boulevard Saint-Germain: Doctoral School
- 28, rue des Saints-Pères: Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)
- 56, rue des Saints-Pères: Language Lab and a map workshop
About 3,000 undergraduate students study at the Paris campus. Many of them are international students.
Dijon Campus
The Dijon campus opened in 2001. It is in a 19th-century building in the Burgundy region. This campus focuses on the European Union and Eastern Europe. Classes are taught in French. Students can learn languages like Hungarian, Polish, and Russian.
Le Havre Campus
The Le Havre campus is on the coast of Normandy. It started in 2007 and offers a program focused on Europe and Asia. Classes are taught in English. Students can learn Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Many students spend their third year studying in an Asian country.
Menton Campus
The Menton campus opened in 2005 in the French Riviera. It is in a beautiful old building overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This campus specializes in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. About 300 students study here each year. Programs are taught in French or English. Students can learn Arabic, Turkish, Italian, and Hebrew.
Nancy Campus
The Nancy campus, opened in 2000, is in an 18th-century building. It focuses on the European Union and French-German relations. Classes are taught in French, English, and German. Students can also learn Italian, Spanish, Russian, or Arabic.
Poitiers Campus
The Poitiers campus opened in 2010. It is in a historic 15th-century building. This campus specializes in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Classes are mainly in French, with some in English and Spanish. Students can learn Spanish and Portuguese.
Reims Campus
The Reims campus opened in 2010. It is the largest regional campus, with over 1,600 students. More than half of its students are international. This campus offers two specializations: one on North America (in English) and one on Africa (in French). Students can also study environmental sustainability here.
How Sciences Po Works
Leadership and Management
Sciences Po has a special way of being managed. It has two main parts:
- The Fondation nationale des sciences politiques (FNSP): This is a private non-profit group. It handles the school's overall plan, money, and administration.
- The Institut d’études politiques de Paris: This is the public higher education part. It focuses on teaching, research, and library services.
These two parts work together as "Sciences Po." The leaders of the school make decisions about how it runs every day.
Finances
Sciences Po gets money from different places. Its own funds have grown a lot over the years. The school also took on some debt to buy and renovate its new Paris campus.
What Students Learn
Sciences Po has an Undergraduate College, six professional schools, and a Doctoral School.
Undergraduate Studies
The Undergraduate College offers a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree. Students learn about many subjects like economics, history, law, and political science. They also get training in civic duties, languages, and digital skills.
- In the first year, students take basic courses in six main subjects.
- In the second year, they choose a main area of study like Politics & Government or Economics & Societies.
- The third year is spent studying abroad at a partner university.
Each campus also has a special focus on a certain region of the world, like Africa, Asia, or Europe. Sciences Po also offers special dual degrees with universities around the world, like Columbia University and University College London.
Getting into Sciences Po is competitive. In 2021, only about 7% of students who applied were accepted.
Graduate Studies
At the graduate level, Sciences Po has seven schools. They offer Master's and PhD programs. All graduate programs are in Paris. Sciences Po also has dual Master's programs with international universities. Students in these programs spend one year at Sciences Po and one year at the partner university.
The Schools
The Undergraduate College is for all bachelor's students. For graduate students, there are seven professional schools:
- School of Public Affairs
- Paris School of International Affairs
- Sciences Po Law School
- Urban School
- School of Management and Innovation
- School of Journalism
- Doctoral School
The Doctoral School offers Master's and PhD programs in subjects like law, economics, and history.
Research at Sciences Po
Sciences Po is a big center for research. Its researchers study economics, law, history, sociology, and political science. They also look at topics like cities, climate change, and how societies change.
The university has many research centers. Some of them work with France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). These centers study things like:
- How data is used in social sciences.
- European studies and politics.
- International relations and foreign societies.
- Political attitudes and ideas.
- History, from local to global events.
- How organizations and public policies work.
- Social inequalities and changes.
- Economics, including job markets and global trade.
- Law, especially how it changes with globalization.
- New ways to use technology for research.
Library and Publishing
The Bibliothèque de Sciences Po (Sciences Po Library) was founded in 1871. It has over 950,000 books and resources on social sciences. It is a very important library for political science in France.
Presses de Sciences Po is the school's publishing house. It publishes academic books on social sciences.
Public Talks
Sciences Po often hosts public talks with important guests. Famous people like Ban Ki-moon (former UN Secretary-General), Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State), and Angela Merkel (former German Chancellor) have given speeches there.
What People Think of Sciences Po
National Recognition
Sciences Po is a very popular school in France. Most students who are accepted choose to go there. In 2022, only about 10% of undergraduate applicants were accepted. French students who join the school often have very high grades from high school.
In national rankings, Sciences Po is often ranked very high. It is usually first in sociology and social policy. It is also highly ranked in law and economics.
International Rankings
Sciences Po is also well-known around the world. In 2023, it was ranked 2nd globally for the study of Politics by QS World University Subjects Rankings. It was ranked 39th in social sciences by Times Higher Education.
Famous People from Sciences Po
Many famous people have studied or taught at Sciences Po.
Alumni (Former Students)
Sciences Po has over 55,000 alumni. Many of them have become important leaders in politics and business.
Political Leaders
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Six out of the eight presidents of France's Fifth Republic went to Sciences Po. These include Georges Pompidou, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, and Emmanuel Macron.
Many French politicians who are Sciences Po graduates also went to the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA). In 2017, about 14% of the members of the French parliament were Sciences Po graduates.
People from Sciences Po have also held important roles in international organizations. These include:
- Simone Veil, former President of the European Parliament.
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former UN Secretary General.
- Pascal Lamy, former head of the World Trade Organisation.
- Jean-Claude Trichet, former President of the European Central Bank.
Sciences Po alumni also include leaders from other countries, such as Pierre Trudeau, a former Prime Minister of Canada.
Diplomats
Many senior French diplomats are also alumni. These include ambassadors to the United States, Russia, and China.
Other Notable Alumni
Other famous alumni include:
- The writer Marcel Proust.
- Pierre de Coubertin, who started the modern Olympics.
- Fashion designer Christian Dior.
- Authors Leïla Slimani and Emmanuel Carrère.
- Harvard University Professor Stanley Hoffmann.
Permanent Staff (Teachers and Researchers)
Many important scholars have taught at Sciences Po. These include:
- Louis Renault, a jurist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Economist Jean-Paul Fitoussi.
- Historian Élie Halévy.
- Philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour.
Leaders of Sciences Po
National Foundation of Sciences Po (FNSP) Leaders
- 1945–1959: André Siegfried
- 1959–1971: Pierre Renouvin
- 1971–1981: François Goguel
- 1981–2007: René Rémond
- 2007–2016: Jean-Claude Casanova
- 2016–2021: Olivier Duhamel
- 2021–present: Laurence Bertrand Dorléac
Sciences Po Directors
- 1872–1906: Émile Boutmy
- 1906–1936: Eugène d'Eichthal
- 1945–1947: Roger Seydoux
- 1947–1979: Jacques Chapsal
- 1979–1987: Michel Gentot
- 1987–1996: Alain Lancelot
- 1997–2012: Richard Descoings
- 2013–2021: Frédéric Mion
- 2021–2024: Mathias Vicherat
Images for kids
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Students and staff in front of the original entrance in the 1910s
See also
In Spanish: Instituto de Estudios Políticos de París para niños
- Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs
- École nationale d'administration
- Grandes écoles
- Grands établissements
- Instituts d'études politiques
- List of Sciences Po honorary doctorate laureates
- Paris School of International Affairs
