ESPCI web site
ESPCI Paris has strong historical, permanent ties with the City of Paris. Founded in 1882 by the Paris City Council, the School has developed with constant support from the municipality. ESPCI Paris plays a vital role today in the French capital’s international ambition and prestige in the key areas of innovation, research and higher education.
Paris’s unique environment
Students at every level—those studying for the ingénieur, Masters or doctoral degree—and postdoctoral research associates, teaching faculty, researchers and other members of the staff, all appreciate the School’s geographical position in the heart of Paris, in the historic Montagne Ste-Geneviève district where the vibrant intellectual tradition remains intact, near the Sorbonne and the Latin Quarter, and close to the bustling, picturesque rue Mouffetard, with its markets and hundreds of restaurants and cafés. Day and night, the capital’s bustle, cultural events, sports facilities, direct links with the other major European cities, and finally, the cosmopolitan atmosphere provide an unparalleled environment for living, working, studying, and recreation.
Strong, close ties
In addition to these environmental and almost emotional considerations, there are robust institutional ties joining the École and the City of Paris today. The Deputy Mayor of Paris for Innovation, Research and Universities, Marie-Christine Lemardeley, is President of the School’s Board of Directors, and the former Director General, Jacques Prost, is a member of the Scientific Council of the City of Paris. The close relationship between the School and the municipality is a unique, decisive advantage for action, and for undertaking ambitions projects with the assurance of seeing them implemented successfully.
A shared ambition
A treasure house of science for the City of Paris, ESPCI Paris contributes to Paris’s international reputation as a remarkably dynamic cultural and scientific capital.
Paris has long been one of the few world intellectual centers where forceful, original thinking is nurtured and spread, helping to shape the future of humanity. Today’s avant-garde battles are waged in the fields of science and technology: mankind is confronted with challenges of unprecedented magnitude and complexity, which offer a unique opportunity—to those who dedicate the means required to respond intelligently—to extend their influence to the entire planet.
ESPCI Paris is particularly well situated to play a major role in this revolution and to thus contribute to the city’s international stature. Its geographical location in the heart of Paris, with the Montagne Ste-Geneviève campus on the Left Bank, provides an exceptional scientific environment conducive to rich, original exchanges. This is fully consistent with the educational and scientific position, with its resolute focus on transdisciplinarity.
The complexity and diversity of tomorrow’s technological challenges cannot be resolved by a conventional monolithic approach. Paris is one of the rare places where transversal, cross-disciplinary scientific collaboration is truly possible, and ESPCI Paris fully intends to be a key driver behind such initiatives.