ENSTA Paris, through the place it occupies in higher education and research, must be a responsible and united school. For several years, the School has therefore been developing actions for sustainable development and social openness in order to meet the challenges of the future. To do this, it mobilises everything it has, both at the level of staff and students.
Education and student life
The School trains its students in the major issues facing society. It educates them throughout their schooling, through conferences and events, dedicated options or in its specialization courses related to these issues, to make them women and men committed to the challenges of the future.
- In the first year, conferences and events dedicated to the ecological transition are held as part of the new academic year, including climate murals.
- Sessions dedicated to the ecological transition and social responsibility are included in the 1st year economics courses, a course entitled "Systemic analysis of the Anthropocene" is offered to 1st year students.
- In the 2nd year, a "climate change" course is part of the Major in Mechanical, the "Sustainable energies", "Mechanical Modelling" and "Smart Systems" minors are evolving and the sustainability dimension is integrated into the Team Engineering Projects (TEPs)
- In the 3rd year, some courses are evolving or being created:
- The course "Smart Mobility and Vehicle Engineering" becomes "Intelligent & Sustainable Mobility"
- The course "Energy Production and Management" becomes "Energy in Transition: Production & Optimization
- Creation of a "Mathematics for Health and the Environment" course
- A mandatory course in green finance is added to the "Quantitative Finance" track
- The sustainability dimension is integrated into the "Engineering and Design" and "Entrepreneurship" profiles
Many projects from the "Entrepreneurship-Intrapreneurship" profile and the "Business Creation" curriculum are also interested in sustainable development. Murfy and Ayro are two good examples.
Student civic engagement is another aspect of the societal openness sought by ENSTA Paris for its students. With "ENSTA Paris Talents d'Avenir", the students take part in the Cordées de la réussite program, which aims to make guidance a real lever for equal opportunity. Three middle schools in the city of Trappes benefit from this support: visits to middle schools by our students, presentation of the School, organization of debates and workshops to demystify mathematics, among other actions. Civic engagement is mandatory in the 1st and 2nd years and validates the passage to the 3rd year of the engineering cycle.
The ecological transition approach is also found in the student life of ENSTA Paris. Associations such as Ecosyst'Aime (the "sustainable" student association), which are interested in sustainable development, or the Sustainable Development referent within the current BdE, are proof of this.
Research
Biosourced hydrogen, optimization of the energy mix, sustainability of materials, electric and autonomous vehicles, reduction of emissions and CO2 capture, many research activities carried out in our research departments and the interdisciplinary centers of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris such as Energy For Climate (E4C) contribute to the ecological transition.
Discover our areas of research
Sustainable campus
With the aim of reducing the environmental footprint, the management of ENSTA Paris has strived to obtain, from the design phase of the construction of the new premises of the School in Palaiseau, a high environmental quality (HQE) certification. This means compliance with strict energy performance requirements as regards its consumption but also respect for the environment with a reduction in land footprint, use of renewable energies (geothermal energy, thermal solar panels) and the creation of vegetated natural spaces (valleys, green spaces, etc.). In its daily operations, the ENSTA Paris community is mobilized around the use of energy, the organized recycling of waste or in the optimization of mobility proposed on the campus.
Know more about our sustainable campus
Gender/Diversity
Considering that diversity is a wealth, and is conducive to innovation, ENSTA Paris attaches the greatest importance to diversifying the recruitment of students internationally and nationally in fields other than CPGE. To this end, it sets up accompanying measures to enable everyone to access diplomas under the best possible conditions.
The school pays particular attention to the development of gender diversity in its training programs, to gender equality through numerous awareness-raising activities, and to the reception and support of people with disabilities. In this way, ENSTA Paris intends to change habits and fight against all forms of discrimination.
Scholarships
In the objective of societal openness, ENSTA Paris implements various policies that not only enable international students to train in the best possible conditions but also encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education also in good conditions. For this a work is done on the organization of curricula and the obtaining of life grants. This support is essential and makes it possible to set up a rich mix and conducive to innovation.
Learn more about the scholarships
Combating gender and sexual violence
The fight against harassment, discrimination and sexual violence is a priority for ENSTA Paris.
ENSTA Paris has set up a system against sexual violence, discrimination and harassment, for both students and staff.
This system is made up of a network of people whose action is divided as follows:
- Action targeted at student life at campus level with a more specific aspect of professional equality (equal pay and the fight against sexism in the workplace). Student associations are involved in this action under the leadership of the person responsible for supporting students and social openness, and the person responsible for corporate partnerships. One student and one former student participate in the system;
- Targeted action for the attention of school personnel by the prevention officer;
- Action by the gender equality officer, who coordinates this network and ensures the consistency of actions internally but also with all associated partners (CGE, CDEFI, ministries, IP Paris, etc.)
Campaigns on the topic of sexual harassment are annually planned and a dedicated brochure "ENSTA Paris says NO to sexual and gender-based violence #NeRienLaisserPasser” (Don't let anything go) is distributed each year in September to all newcomers.
Faced with current challenges and those of tomorrow, these actions help to place staff and students in a positive and responsible dynamic, allowing them to better understand the responses that must be provided to live better together.