I am neither a Centrale nor a Supelec graduate, actually
I "am not even" a famous Grande Ecole alumnus. Having said that, I have traveled a lot
(had many international appointments), luckily enough I have been a prolific
researcher which “gives” me an international standing and – at least I think - allows
me to see things differently and express my opinion without much bias (at is concerns my "Centrale" origins).
Fusion is always a very difficult process. The process
of putting together two institutions even if they are quite similar it is
always painful. Different people, cultures, philosophies and habits should meet
in harmony. It is a process that takes time, requires patience but also a long
term vision. It should be clear where the new school should lead, what will be
the main axes of excellence and how the new school will be operating. The most
common decision is to average things, this is something quite common in mathematics,
find the equidistance between the two poles, it will most likely not correspond
to something but it will make equally happy/unhappy both parties. This would definitely
have been the best possible solution 10-20 years back when the finances of the higher
education and in general of the state were that different but it cannot happen
anymore. State support is declining, academic growth is limited, digital revolution
will definitely change higher education while in the context of consolidation
towards creating major University poles in France (ParisSaclay) the Grandes
Ecoles will definitely mutate to a new era where most likely their “exceptional”
standing within the French education system will be somehow diluted in the
years to come.
Centrale & Supelec according to the most reasonable
international standards are small (and in general not that visible schools). There is
first the question of mass (student and academic mass), and then the question
of dispersion. It is not sustainable for any school (unless it is an indisputable international leader) to offer academic programs to a number of
students that is disproportionally aligned to the expected faculty investment
required for their delivery. This is also the case as it concerns research
where one has to combine excellence first with significant man power. We cannot
claim that we are excellent in all areas, this is certainly not true! We cannot
claim that we should be active in terms of research investment in all
engineering areas as well (this neither feasible nor sustainable). Science - as
well as research in general - undergo cycles which in engineering and computer
science can be quite “short” and therefore agility is critical. We cannot
continue to invest in areas because there was a critical mass due to the
important past historical activities. Of
course these disciplines should continue to excel but it is a strategic
decision to make the call on the direction we are heading even if we make some
of many people unhappy. There will be an important number of “Grandes Ecoles” at Saclay in the years to come, what
will differential our school from them? We could say that our students are
excellent but their students will be as well and most likely 10-20 years from
now all of them will get the same degree! Do people pay attention for Oxford
graduates on the college which delivered their degree? Well the answer in no
and therefore we have to provide highly innovative programs that differentiate
us with them!
Centrale & Supelec according to the most reasonable
international standards heavily depend on state funding which most likely will further
decline in the future. Therefore additional resources are to be found which
though should allow to the school to move to the right direction.
Collaborations & International visibility will be a major card to play. It
has to happen though on an equitable basis! Stating that we work with the best when
actually the only thing that it happens is that we send our students to them
and we have no incoming flow is not a credible argument. In order to do though
we still have to be well identified and well visible on what we offer! Which cannot
happen if we stay disperse and we try to be happy with everyone. Last but not
least, research! We are not that good both as it concerns publications, as well
as visibility and funding. Most of the leading EU and US universities often
recover approximately 30% of their budget from highly competitive research
grants, which they do not refer neither to subcontracting of industrial activities
nor to gifts from our former graduates! Any reasonable bibliographic/bibliometric study will
certainly show that there was a tremendous progress done over the past decade,
but it is not enough! Actually it is
really far from being enough! We are still somewhere on the trail, and we will
certainly need drastic efforts and investment from our side to catch up.
Last but not least, we should take advantage of
the ecosystem but as equal partners. Cnrs/Inria/Inra/Inserm and other research
organizations do not have access to our exceptional students, do not have the ability
to introduce new academic curriculum and cannot initiate or put in place international
exchange programs as we do. We should assume our differences, target their
research excellence (whenever this is not the case) but also explain them that
we are not simply student repository for them but equal partners. Negotiate
research axes, negotiate positions, negotiate long term strategy and involve
them whenever is possible on the curriculum (France is an international
exception: current national evaluation system assumes that one professor should
be equivalent with half of the researcher as it concerns productivity). The “Grandes
Ecoles” cannot diminish themselves to a “second-class” research environment and
cannot simply serve as “hosting” institutions to the national research organizations!
The target should be to meet their excellence and even go beyond in the years
to come.
To conclude, the next five years to come will
be critical, lets seize the opportunity to build a well identified/structured/agile
higher education institution, where excellence is the driving force both in
terms of academic offer as well as research with the most meaningful international
collaborations which will allow us to become one the major players in the
French and international academic ecosystem.
ps:
- The above statements reflect strictly my personal opinions and therefore by no means they have the approval/endorsement of CentraleSupelec.
- I do not believe that the aforementioned issues are the due to the Centrale & Supelec fusion. I am convinced that problems existed in both schools before and could become more important thanks to the cumulative effect of the fusion.
- There is absolutely nothing wrong on looking either for people that are not part of the schools if needed or to assume strategies/models that were neither part of the former structures if appropriate!
- I have been fortunate to be exceptionally well supported from my institution all these years.
