Polytechnic Institute of Paris

Polytechnic Institute of Paris

Institut polytechnique de Paris
Type	Public research university
Established	1741 ENSTA Paris 2019 Scission from Paris-Saclay University
Chancellor	Christophe Kerrero
President	Thierry Coulhon
Students	8,500
Postgraduates	1,500
Doctoral students	950
Location	Palaiseau , Île-de-France , France 48°42′42″N 2°10′17″E / 48.7117343°N 2.1712888°E / 48.7117343; 2.1712888
Campus	Paris-Saclay
Website	ip-paris.fr/en

The Polytechnic Institute of Paris (French: Institut polytechnique de Paris) is a public technological university located in Palaiseau, France. It consists of six engineering grandes écoles: École polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, École des ponts ParisTech, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis.

With the Paris-Saclay University, the Polytechnic Institute of Paris is part of the Paris-Saclay project, which is a research-intensive academic campus and business cluster being developed on the Plateau de Saclay near Paris. The project integrates several engineering schools and research centers that are part of the world's top research organizations in various fields.^[1][2]

The technological university was formed around the École polytechnique, one of the most respected and selective grandes écoles in France. Among its alumni and teachers are five Nobel prize winners,^[3] two Fields medalists,^[4] three presidents of France^[5] and many CEOs of French and international companies.

After World War II, the rapid growth of nuclear physics and chemistry meant that research needed more and more powerful accelerators, which required large areas. The University of Paris, the École Normale Supérieure and the Collège de France looked for space in the south of Paris near Orsay. The Orsay branch of the University of Paris eventually became an independent university, called Paris-Sud University. In 1976, the École polytechnique joined the region, by moving from central Paris to Palaiseau. Other institutes joined the region in the following decades, most notably ENS Cachan, Télécom Paris, and ENSTA, as part of the Paris-Saclay project, a national effort to regroup research and business activities.

In 2015, these institutes were grouped together as a university community (ComUE) called Paris-Saclay University. The goal was to be recognized as an entity of sufficient size and quality, and to become a top-ranking, research-focused French university. Each member institution would remain independent but share a significant portion of existing and newly invested resources. This follows a model similar to the one adopted by University of Oxford and Cambridge, where each constituent college keeps its independence while being grouped under a 'university'.

Confronted with disagreements between its members (engineering schools versus universities, French Ministry of Defense versus Ministry of Higher Education), the University of Paris-Sud proposed to transform itself into Paris-Saclay University in 2017, with the engineering schools being only associated to the future institution. On October 25, 2017, the French president Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a second university pole in Paris-Saclay, which would split away from Paris-Saclay University and regroup the engineering schools. This new pole was initially called "NewUni", and became the Polytechnic Institute of Paris in February 2019.

HEC Paris also joined the new university pole without becoming a member. Other higher education or research institutions may join in the future. Paris-Saclay University and the Polytechnic Institute of Paris co-operate in several master's degrees and PhD programs^[6]

On September 15, 2020, the Institute co-founded with HEC Paris^[7] the artificial intelligence research center Hi! PARIS.^[8][9]

On July 15, 2024, the École des ponts ParisTech joined the Institute.^[10]

The Polytechnic Institute of Paris comprises six grandes écoles:

• École Polytechnique
• Télécom Paris
• Telecom SudParis
• ENSTA Paris
• ENSAE Paris
• École des ponts ParisTech

The following research organizations have established research centers within the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The resources contributed by these organizations will remain largely independent from other member institutions.

• CEA (Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission)
• CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research)
• Inria (French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation)
• INSERM (French Institute of Health and Medical Research)
• Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies)
• INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Sciences)
• ONERA (National Board of Study and Aerospace Research)
• SOLEIL (national synchrotron facility)

In international rankings, the Polytechnic Institute of Paris is ranked 38th overall and 12th in graduate employability by QS World University Rankings.^[16] It is ranked 71st by Times Higher Education,^[17] 301-400 by the Shanghai Ranking,^[18] and 41st in the world by the CWUR Ranking.^[19]

• List of public universities in France by academy
• Paris-Saclay Medical School

• Official website
• Polytechnique Online