Selected to represent Arts et Métiers the final of the Present Around The World (PATW) competition, Antoine Yazbeck (right) and Patrick Jacquemont (left), first-year engineering students, competed against students from Polytech Paris-Sud on Saturday, March 24, 2018, in Paris.
What is PATW?
Open to engineering students, the PATW aims to assess candidates on their ability to present a topic related to the world of engineering in English. This competition is organized bythe IET - Institution of Engineering and Technology, one of the largest professional networks of engineers in the world. In the United Kingdom, the IET even awards accreditations enabling individuals to become engineers.
After successfully passing the first qualifying round on the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Châlons-en-Champagne, Antoine and Patrick went on to the national final of the PATW, which was held for the second time at the Salons de l'Hôtel Arts et Métiers Avenue d'Iéna.
A crack team
Although the engineering students were not in unfamiliar territory, they still had to convince an independent jury composed of four Anglo-Saxon engineers. Antoine and Patrick's competitors were two students from Polytech Paris-Sud. However, the Arts et Métiers engineering students Arts et Métiers come alone. A special " Arts et Métiers team made up of teachers (Virgine Vercollier and Marc Hammond, project leaders), the campus communications officer, and students had traveled to Paris to support them.
Behind the scenes at PATW
From Patrick's submarine camouflage to AI (artificial intelligence) music composition, Antoine's autonomous car and tuned mass damper, students had to give a 10-minute presentation on a topic of their choice. This was a tricky exercise that required mastery of both content and form. The ability to present a project in English accounted for 70% of the final grade. The remaining 30% was based on technical content.
After lengthy deliberation by the jury, Antoine and Patrick finished first and second respectively in the PATW national final. This victory qualifies Antoine for the regional final, where he will compete in July against the winners from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The world final (bringing together the finalists from the five regions defined by the IET: England, North and South America, Asia, and Southeast Asia) will take place in London at the end of 2018.
An enriching experience for engineering students
For the winner, Antoine, participating in PATW is consistent with his career plans: "I want to work in consulting. This will require me to present projects in French and English. It's also an incredible opportunity to expand my network internationally. "
According to Patrick, PATW is an exercise in style and an excellent way to practice English: "An engineer must be able to capture their audience's attention and demonstrate the technical validity of their project."
Congratulations to Antoine on his progress in this competition. He will be a worthy ambassadorArts et Métiers the regional final.
