25 mai 2012 | Graduate school of engineering | A- A A+

Valorization of student projects is at the heart of technological and training innovation at ECE

Valorization of student projects is at the heart of technological and training innovation at ECE

ECE was awarded the label IDEFI (Initiatives to Excellence in Innovative training) for the VPE (valorization of student projects). IDEFI was launched by the French government in the fall of 2011 with the aim of investing in promising projects in Higher Education and research.

The VPE is financed with 1.5 million euros from the “Investissements d’Avenir” (Promising investments).

Thursday 13 March, 2012 Laurent Wauquiez, French Minister of Higher Education and Research, and René Rico, General Commissioner of Investments, disclosed the 37 projects that were awarded out of 93 that were submitted.

ECE’s VPE is now labeled and financed. Students of the Master’s degree program at ECE (about 700) now have a support for the Engineering projects of five team members (about 140 projects).

What is the principle? Promote the idea that these student projects become much more than simple academic learning exercises.

Six axes of valorization are proposed to students:

• • Innovation in cooperation with a company or a research laboratory
• • A scientific publication (international conference or magazine)
• • Participation in a national or international context
• • A contribution to develop a free software
• • Getting a patent
• • Creating a start-up company

These projects are visible because they are true engineering accomplishments from engineers with high professional level, recognized and applied as concrete and innovative contributions to the scientific, economic and industry communities.

Since its creation, Innovation in training is inside the DNA of ECE, the school has always evolved taking into account progress in society and spreading technologies in the way students are educated “ Says Pascal Brouaye, President of the ECE group.

The label IDEFI recognizes the capacity of ECE in innovative training. This motivates a deep transformation in learning and as a consequence in the profile of the future engineers.

“This excellence label strengthens the VPE concept. Currently the VPE concept can be replicated in other Engineering Schools and Universities. We are preparing methodological guides to spread the concept” says Laurent Hua, Directeur of Development at ECE Paris.