Groupe des Ecoles des Mines - Graduate School of Paris

The School forms non-specialized engineers able to deal with every aspect (technical, scientific, sociological, economic or ethical) in the resolution of a real complex problem or the implementation of an industrial project. The range of themes studied in the laboratories is wide, ranging from applied mathematics to the social sciences, and including energy studies, earth sciences and materials. This broad spectrum of research means that cross-disciplinary themes can be dealt with which bring into play several laboratories, e.g.: the environment, Internet and risk management.

The programs give pride of place to the economic and social sciences, thanks to research centers of world renown, as demonstrated by the Nobel Prize for Economics awarded, in 1988, to Maurice Allais, former student and professor at the School.

The School ranks first among the French schools of engineering for the volume of contractual research with companies, amounting to €22.4 million in 2003, which accounts for half of the resources of the research centers. Some 30% of contracts are signed with foreign companies.

More than half of the research students at the School contribute to industrial research contracts. Some 15% are funded by CIFRE grants. More than half of the research students find employment in industry on completion of their thesis. Internships for students are sponsored by and conducted in companies.

In all the curricula combined, 25% of students are of foreign origin thus introducing an international dimension to the student population.

EMParis takes part in numerous international networks including ATHENS, LEUVEN NETWORK and CESAER which bring together leading higher education institutions in Europe.

The limited number of students in each year of the various programs means that the faculty member in charge of a particular course knows each student personally and can make use of innovative teaching methods such as the Entrepreneurship Venture.

Students acquire a spirit of enterprise through the Entrepreneurship Venture, an innovative teaching method whereby students are required to implement a project which they themselves have defined. Tutoring conducted by a faculty member ensures personalized dialogue between teacher and student.

The Ecole des Mines de Paris has actively participated in the creation of two company incubators.

It has been instrumental in creating some 50 companies over the last 20 years in every industrial field, some of which have been major success stories (Morphpysystèmes, Ecobilan, etc.).

Pierre Laffitte, director of the School from 1974 to 1984, masterminded the creation of the Sophia-Antipolis technology park: the School was the first public institution to establish itself there and, since then, a hundred or more high-tech companies have been operating on the site.

 Even at times of economic crisis, young engineers from EMParis are offered a wide range of career opportunities, half in industry and half in the service sector.

 Approximately 15% of engineers graduating from the EMParis over the last 10 years are now working abroad (the national average for initial engineering positions abroad is 10%).

 60% of postgraduates join companies on completion of their thesis. Only 13% go into public sector research and 18% into higher education.

 Several of the CEOs of the 40 leading French companies (CAC 40) are former graduates of the School.

 Two Nobel Prize winners are graduates from the School: G. Charpak (Physics, 1992) and M. Allais (Economics, 1988).