SPEIT (SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology) celebrates its 10th anniversary
Ten years ago, in 2012, École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Télécom Paris, Mines ParisTech, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University established the SJTU-Paris Elite Institute of Technology (SPEIT) to provide Chinese and also international students with a unique academic engineering program based on French engineering education model, while combining pedagogical methods from China. Since then, the remarkable careers of the program’s graduates have confirmed the quality of SPEIT, which provides students not only with academic and technical knowledge but also trains their practical skills, global mindset, and team spirit.
The presidents, the directors of international affairs, and faculty of the five founding member universities gathered on April 24, 2023 at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SPEIT and the program’s success.
“The pedagogical structure and setup designed by our five partner institutions constitute a unique engineering education model that has been recognized with an accreditation by the engineering accreditation institution CTI in France and the Ministry of Education in China”, commented Élisabeth Crépon, Director of ENSTA Paris, Vice-President of IP Paris International Committee, Vice-President of SPEIT’s parity committee.
“Designed jointly, SPEIT’s degree program in engineering combines the strengths and pedagogical methods of French and Chinese higher education institutions,” explained Éric Labaye, Chairman and President of École Polytechnique and Institut Polytechnique de Paris. “Moreover, as the program allows for the international mobility of students and professors between China and France, it also contributes to the mutual understanding between the younger generation and future leaders in both countries and beyond. The large community of alumni established over the years and their successful business or research careers in China and France attest to the recognition of the program quality.”
Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) sign MoU
The meeting of the institutions’ leadership to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SPEIT offered the occasion to take the collaboration between SJTU and the five founding institutions of Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) – École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris, Télécom SudParis - further. In line with its international policy to collaborate with top research institutions across the globe, IP Paris signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) on April 24, 2023, which complements the PhD co-supervision agreement of IP Paris and SJTU and will enable the two institutions to develop further joint projects.
Founded in 1896, SJTU is a public research university with a long history. One of China’s top universities, SJTU ranks #46 in QS World University rankings 2023. Split over five campuses, SJTU comprises 33 schools, allowing students to specialize in different areas, including a broad range of engineering domains.
Franco-Chinese collaboration in higher education
As part of SPEIT’s 10th anniversary, SJTU organized a Sino-French Forum on education, which took place on April 25, 2023. Invited as a speaker, Eric Labaye, President and Chairman of Institut Polytechnique de Paris, presented a report on the leaders of tomorrow. Furthermore, the program comprised several panel discussions. Dominique Rossin, Provost of École Polytechnique and President of IP Paris’ Education Committee, chaired the first panel, focused on the strategic development of Sino-French cooperation in education.
The importance of encouraging collaborations between France’s and China’s higher education institutions, such as Franco-Chinese institutes, was also mentioned in the joint declaration issued after the State visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China in early April.
As the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France approaches, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, and Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, recalled the solid foundation of the relations between the two countries and discussed in depth their views on the bilateral relationship. Besides other essential topics the two Heads of State discussed revolving around the political dialogue, global security, and stability, France and China reiterated in the joint declaration their commitment to strengthening cooperation in higher education and vocational training and supporting the mutual resumption of student and teacher mobility.