“ E NGINEERING EDUCATION, INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY AND UPWARD SOCIAL MOBILITY ” Gabriel POLONIECKI

1.Introduction 2.Social mix in French higher education 3.Engineering studies in France 4.Alternative ways to become an engineer in France 5.International mobility 6.Concluding remarks Overview 2

1.Introduction Engineering Education for Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion Social Mobility 3

2.Social mix in French higher education  Republican model, meritocracy  Public and almost free education  National final exam at the end of high school (Baccalauréat)  Public universities without selective entrance for a lot of fields  Almost free prep. Schools and competitive examination entrance for schools (Grandes Ecoles) 4

5  Some figures Proportion of need-based grant holders Upper SEC  parents Lower SEC  parents All Higher Education Institutions27% Universities (without IUT)30% 22% Business Schools12%< 10% Engineering Schools23%46%10% IUT (Associate degrees)47%29%23% STS (Associate degrees)40%15%38% CPGE (Two-yrs course, competitive exam. prep.)26%49%16%  Social « lift » ? 2.Social mix situation in HE in France

3.Engineering studies in France  Prestigious degree and title. Well- considered level of French engineers  National Accreditation - CTI   Independent Schools (most of them), not Faculties. Quite small size.  A few of Univ. of Technology  Very selective entrance 6

7 High School CPGE1 CPGE2 5 yrs. Sch. (1 st ) 5 yrs. Sch. (2 nd ) Eng. Grad. Sch. 1 Eng. Grad. Sch. 2 Eng. Grad. Sch. 3 ENGINEER 5 yrs Sch. (3 rd ) 5 yrs Sch. (4 th ) 5 yrs Sch. (5 th ) 3.Eng. studies in France

8  Schools point of view (CTI)  Excellent results, why should it change ?  Absence of upward social mobility : problem for companies and even more for the whole society  Companies & Schools Social Responsability  France needs more engineers, about 30% more per year (30k to 40k) (CDEFI) 4.Alternative ways to become an Engineer in France

9  Less attractivity on STEM fields  Encouraged by National Accreditation Commission (CTI) and Government  Need to enlarge the recruitment  Also Campus benefits :  Social mix,  Education background mix,  International mix  and Gender mix open minds 4.Alternative ways

10  Social mix – Upper Social Mobility  Traditional « noble pathway » : 39% of students in Eng Schools  But just a few students from lower SEC, why ? CPGE + Eng. Grad. Schools

11  CPGE characteristics :  Excellence in basic sciences  Hard work  Competitive  Absence of degree  Uncertainty of the competitive examination  Students characteristics & perceptions :  Most lower SEC students in technological paths  Intermediate degrees required  Less self-confidence  Glass ceiling effect 4.Alternative ways

12 Some propositions :  Promote engineering studies in high schools  Alternative pedagogical methods (apprenticeship, etc..)  Enlarge recruitment in CPGE  Create more CPGE, Quota system,  Improve links between high schools in lower SEC quarters and CPGE  Enlarge recruitment outside CPGE  Sciences students at universities  International students  Graduates from post-secondary vocational education 4.Alternative ways

Post-secondary Vocational Education : IUT & STS 13  Vocational 2 yrs studies, internships  Deliver « Associate degrees »  High proportion of need-based grant holders and students belonging to lower SEC IUT1 IUT2 Labor market STS1 STS2 Universities High Schools

14  Vocational 2 yrs studies, internships  Deliver « Associate degrees »  High proportion of need-based grant holders and students belonging to lower SEC Bachelor’s degree IUT1 IUT2 Eng. and Bus. School, Master’s deg. Labor market STS1 STS2 Universities High Schools Post-secondary Vocational Education : IUT & STS

15 High School CPGE1 CPGE2 IUT1 IUT2 STS1 STS2 5 yrs. Sch. (1 st ) 5 yrs. Sch. (2 nd ) L1 L2 Eng. Grad. Sch. 1 Eng. Grad. Sch. 2 Eng. Grad. Sch. 3 ENGINEER 5 yrs Sch. (3 rd ) 5 yrs Sch. (4 th ) 5 yrs Sch. (5 th ) 14% 39% 27% 4.Alternative ways

16 Comments The trend is to continue and to increase the social mix in Engineering Schools. Other propositions are being tested and one of them is particularly encouraged : Apprenticeship pedagogy : Students are hired by companies where they work about half of the time during engineering studies. They get a salary, and their degree/title is exactly equivalent. 4.Alternative ways

5.International Mobility  Internationalisation of HE  Several definitions, approaches and indicators :  Research Collaboration, Research Networks  Foreign language teaching and teaching in foreign languages  Faculty, Staff and Students exchange  International placements opportunities  International faculty and students recruitment  TNE (Transnational Education), Offshoring  And more.. 17

 A lot of « good » reasons for internationalising HEI  Complex process : each country, region and HEI should choose priorities  Hundreds of papers could be found about it 18 5.International Mobility

 Internationalisation of engineering education  Common with other fields emphasizing in :  Research Collaboration, Research Networks  International placements opportunities  Faculty, Staff and Students exchange  Foreign language teaching and teaching in foreign languages  Employability and/or Research oriented 19

5.International Mobility 20  Europe :  UE initial purposes :  Erasmus European dimension in education Quality improvement Cooperation between institutions Mobility encouragement No social mix purposes No employability improvement purposes  Leonardo da Vinci Improvement of skills (vocational training) Promote innovation

21  Real Benefits for students :  Foreign Language Proficiency  Intercultural understanding & competences  Knowledge of other countries  Academic knowledge  Skills improvement  Employability improvement  Self-confidence 5.International Mobility

22  Influence on Upward Social Mobility  Studies confirm that, for a same level of studies, academic results are almost independent from social origins (Courtiaux,2011)  But employability still depends on social origins (less for engineers) (CEREQ,2010)  Reasons : Cultural background, discrimination, foreign language proficiency, less self- confidence, personal network, etc.. 5.International Mobility

 French figures (BNEI)  34% of students in International Mobility during studies in French Engineering schools (2009)  Increasing & becoming compulsory 23 International Mobility Internships62% Exchange (without dual-degrees)25% Dual degrees13%

24  Financing Mobility  Studies mobility :  Erasmus, Local government scholarships, HE Networks  Internships international mobility :  Erasmus, Local government scholarships, HE Networks, Companies 5.International Mobility

6.Concluding remarks  A not new problematic situation was pointed out. It is not usually considered, but it reflects a kind of social state of a society.  Although it was not created on purpose to solve this problem, an interesting on-going experience was introduced.  International mobility also could help to go further in the same direction.  Only HE was considered  Several actions could be implemented, but there is still a long way to go. 25

Thanks for your attention 26

5.International Mobility 27  Other networks :  Engineering schools :  TIME, RMEI, FEEIAT, CESAER, CLUSTER, ECIU, ENTREE They let to improve collaborations between HEI, for Education and Research purposes, and also students and staff mobility.

5 years Engineering School 28 5 yrs. Sch. (1 st ) 5 yrs. Sch. (2 nd ) 5 yrs Sch. (3 rd ) 5 yrs Sch. (4 th ) 5 yrs Sch. (5 th )  Students admited just after high school  No competitive examination

Bachelor’s degree 21-23% IUT 29 IUT(1 st ) IUT(2 nd )  University hosted Vocational school  Deliver « Associate degrees » Eng. and Bus. School, Master’s deg % Labor market 16-20%

STS 30 STS(1 st ) STS(2 nd )  High School hosted Vocational school  Deliver « Associate degrees » Labor market 62% Eng. and Bus. School, Master’s deg. 5% Bachelor’s degree 20%

Universities – Bachelor’s degree 31 Bachelor(1 st ) Bachelor(2 nd )  Bachelor’s degree (three yrs)  Deliver Bachelor’s, Master’s & PhD Eng. and Bus. School, Master’s deg. Bachelor’s degree

CPGE* 32 CPGE(1 st ) CPGE(2 nd )  2 yrs studies, high level in Basic Sciences  No degree delivered Eng. and Bus. School 75% Bachelor’s degree 25% Competitive Examination *Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles

33 5 yrs schools (admission in 1st year of HE) 3 yrs schools (admission in 3rd year of HE) Eng. SchoolCPGEBTS/IUT Status Public (  free) Private (fees) Public (  free) Private (fees) Public (  free) Private (fees) AdmissionPrevious marks DegreeNo degree Associate Degree Admission in schools (3rd yr) Previous marks Competitive examinations Previous marks & Interview Proportion in schools 27%  39%  14% 

5.International Mobility 34  Other networks :  Engineering schools :  TIME (Top Industrial Managers for Europe)  RMEI (Réseau Méditerranéen des Ecoles d'Ingénieurs)  FEEIAT (Fédération Européenne des Ecoles d’Ingénieurs de l’Automobile et des Transports)  CESAEER (Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research)  CLUSTER (Consortium Linking Universities of Science and Technology for Education and Research)  ECIU  ENTREE