China was the destination for Laurent Champaney's first trip abroad as CEO ofArts et Métiers. The aim was to strengthen and expand partnerships with Chinese higher education institutions.
Thirty years ago, Arts et Métiers already one of the first French engineering schools to establish partnerships with China, signing its first framework agreement with Beihang University in 1987. To celebrate these partnerships, Laurent Champaney traveled to China in early April, accompaniedby Audrey Stewart, Director of European and International Relations, Ali Siadat, professor and scientific advisor for China, and Yvon Velot, permanent representative for Arts et Métiers China.
Balance of flows
Laurent Champaney explains that the foundations of partnerships with China are solid and driven by a desire for excellence: "We don't operate in China simply to recruit Chinese students, but rather as part of a partnership approach, systematically seeking to establish dual degree agreements that are balanced in terms of student flows. Between 2009 and 2017, as part of these exchanges, 153 Chinese students obtained a Chinese master's degree and an Arts et Métiers engineering degree. At the same time, exactly 153 French students obtained an Arts et Métiers engineering degree Arts et Métiers a Chinese master's degree."
During their trip, representativesArts et Métiers the opportunity to meet with Arts et Métiers students Arts et Métiers pursuing a dual degree in China, as well as students applying for a dual degree. They also met with the Arts et Métiers Alumni Association Arts et Métiers China in Shanghai (Editor's note: it is estimated that around 1,000 Arts et Métiers alumni Arts et Métiers French and Chinese) are currently working in China).
New avenues for collaboration
A rich and eventful mission punctuated by numerous visits to the following universities:
- Beihang University in Beijing;
- Tsinghua University in Beijing;
- Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an;
- Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Nanjing;
- Southeast University in Nanjing;
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai;
- Tongji University in Shanghai.
With each of these partners, several actions have been initiated or renewed:
- Signing or extending existing framework agreements;
- Renewal of existing dual degree agreements and signing of a new dual degree agreement with Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics;
Numerous discussions suggest broader prospects for collaboration and a few avenues for the future:
- Hosting Chinese undergraduate students on exchange semesters in France (with the introduction of semesters taught in English at Arts et Métiers);
- Improving the visibility of existing dual degrees;
- Introduction of new dual master's degrees;
- Creation of dual PhD degrees;
- Hosting visiting professors in France and China;
- Establishment of summer schools
- Creation of research seminars in France or China;
Agreements for the future!
This visit is also part of a broader framework of industrial collaboration between the two countries: "Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the highest level between the French and Chinese governments in March 2017, we also decided to position our joint actions within the areas of progress defined by the Industrie du Futur (France) and Made in China 2025 (China) industrial programs. This will make it easier for us to involve French and Chinese manufacturers in our joint training and research initiatives," concludes Laurent Champaney.
