Grandes Ecoles

Anon. De la necessite de la creation d une grande ecole de chimie pratique... 

Nevertheless, the society occasionally did make timid attempts to defend the professional interests of its members. For example, in 1891 the council discussed a project presented by a representative of the Chambre syndicate des produits chimique to found a new Ecole de chimie pratique et industrielle. The aim was to provide chemists with special knowledge related to industrial and technical matters. A commission charged with the further elaboration of the plan was formed, and in the same year a booklet appeared (most probably written by members of the commission), publicly requesting the creation of a grande ecole de chimie. ° Although the proposal had no immediate repercussions, it seems to have had some influence in promoting the introduction of a fourth curriculum year within the already existing Ecole municipale de physique et de chimie industrielles, as well as the establishment of a laboratory for applied chemistry at the Paris Faculty of Sciences. 

Anonymous (1891), De la necessite de la creation d une grande ecole de chimie pratique et industrielle sous le patronage de la societe chimique de Paris, Paris 1891, cited in J.-C. Guedon, Conceptual and institutional obstacles to the emergence of unit operations, in W. F. Furter, ed.. History of Chemical Engineering, ACS, Washington, 1980, 45-75. 

Actually, most engineering high schools at that time were either parts of private Catholic universities or non-university institutions like the Grandes Ecoles. 

In France, the best students of an age class are attracted by engineering studies, and consequently the potential of the student audience differs from that of engineering departments in most other countries. Most engineering schools in France, called Grandes Ecoles d Ingenieurs, are independent of universities and train top industrial and administrative managers. 

The Classes Preparatoires correspond to two years of post high-school education with heavy emphasis on mathematics and physics. The first year of the Classes Preparatoires is termed Mathematiques Sup rieures and corresponds to the freshman year at US universities. The second year is called Mathematiques Speciales and corresponds to the sophomore year at US universities. At the end of the second year, students take the nation-wide competitive entrance examinations to what are called the Grandes Ecoles d ingenieurs, including Ecole Centrale Paris. Thus, all students who enter Ecole Centrale Paris have at least two years of advanced-level post-high school education. 

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