For over 30 years, internationalisation has been an essential component of activities at ESIGELEC. Over a third of our student population is international and a large majority of them are degree seekers. We pride ourselves in our academic collaborations with several international universities and in our research and scientific cooperation.
From the very first years ESIGELEC has participated in successive European programmes such as Erasmus, Socrates, Lifelong Learning Programme, etc.
The international strategy of ESIGELEC is built in accordance and with the support of institutional partners such as the European Union, Campus France, French services of cooperation and cultural action abroad, French consular services abroad, etc. and broadly covers:
- Internationalisation and modernisation of its academic offering: the engineering programme, MST & MSc programmes and doctoral studies
- Incoming and outgoing student and staff mobility
- Recruitment of international students for all programmes
- International outreach: campuses abroad and representative offices.
Internationalisation and modernisation of its academic offering is at the heart of ESIGELEC's DNA.
To be awarded the French engineering degree (i.e. a 5-year integrated master’s degree, so called “diplôme ingénieur”), students must achieve a minimum score of 785 points at the TOEIC test (Test of English for International Communication).
A second foreign language is compulsory except for apprenticeship students. Students have the choice between 5 languages (German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and French as a foreign language) or additional support in English if their level in this language requires it.
Internationalisation is also visible throughout scientific courses taught in English: all technological majors are bilingual English/French. A new “International path”, an “International Engineer” elective, and international-oriented optional electives are offered to students.
In master’s and MSc-master of science programmes, all the students are international students and courses are taught in English.
ESIGELEC continuously modernises its academic programmes thanks to the expertise of researchers and professors, professionals from companies and international “visiting professors”.
Changes are discussed and implemented during steering committees.
In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has had as a beneficial effect: a significantly and quick acceleration of distance education.
The role of the Erasmus+ programme for this axis is to broaden students’ scientific and linguistic skills, their openness, and to ensure their better integration into the changing professional world. It is also to support the development of staff skills and consequently the modernisation of academic programmes. It reinforces the complementarity between in-person and distance teaching.
Performance and impact indicators are similar to those used for the accreditation of the programmes such as quantitative (number of students per programme, rate of progression, etc.) and qualitative data (assessment meetings and student surveys).
Axis 2
Another criteria to be awarded the French “diplôme ingénieur” is international mobility. The minimum period abroad is an academic semester (in the “classical” section) or a semester (in the “apprenticeship” section). To do this, a complete mobility scheme has been set up for engineering students: internships in companies or university laboratories, semesters or full-years abroad for studies in partner universities, double degree programmes, language programmes abroad. Students mainly choose to go in English-speaking countries or in Europe.
Incoming exchange students mainly come from Europe, South America and Asia. They come to France and ESIGELEC to follow a study or a full-year for studies, do an internship in a research laboratory of ESIGELEC or participate in a short programme.
Staff mobility is mainly incoming mobility for teaching activities: approximately 45 professors, mostly from partner universities abroad, are invited each year to teach scientific courses in English in a major, a master’s or a MSc-master of science programme. They are vectors of cooperation with their home universities as well as with companies.
ESIGELEC’s teaching staff is involved in joint preparatory courses in Benin, Cameroon, Sri Lanka and Erasmus+ partner universities; staff training mobility is encouraged.
Since 2012, every 2 or 3 years, ESIGELEC has co-organized an “international staff training week” with other higher education institutions located in Rouen metropolitan area. The last edition took place in June 2019 and brought together some 40 representatives of partner universities in Rouen on the theme “The future of internationalisation”.
Key Action 1 of the Erasmus+ programme “Mobility of students and higher education personnel” is the model for all other mobility programmes implemented at ESIGELEC. Its principles of non-discrimination, transparency and inclusion are also the principles for all mobility programmes. Regardless of the destination, in Europe or outside Europe, students are selected according to objective criteria, which are clearly explained orally, and in written documentation. The allocation of Erasmus+ grants is also transparent and documented. To complement this system of grants and promote inclusion, ESIGELEC allocates financial support to international mobility from its own funds.
The objectives of this 2nd axis are to develop Erasmus+ participants’ skills (technical, linguistic, methodological, human, intercultural, etc.), to contribute to their personal development, to strengthen cooperation between partner institutions, exchange good practices between local and international professors, academic and professional environments. The indicators to measure the performance of this axis are quantitative indicators (monitoring tables of student and teacher mobility, etc.) and qualitative indicators (surveys and reviews).
Axis 3
The 3rd axis of ESIGELEC’s international policy is its proactive strategy in recruiting international students into its degree programmes.
ESIGELEC has created joint preparatory cycles in Africa: Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, in Asia: Sri Lanka and in Europe: Belarus. Students complete the first two years of study in their country, before joining ESIGELEC in France for the last three years of the engineering programme.
For non-francophone students wishing to join the engineering programme, linguistic and scientific adaptation cycles are available beforehand.
ESIGELEC classes have been opened in Chinese high schools for high school students to consider higher education at ESIGELEC in France.
Programmes taught in English are also proposed to international students: the National Master’s Degree and two joint MSc-masters of science with two partner universities in India.
Most international students studying at ESIGELEC come from these recruitment routes. In 2019/20, they represented 43% of the student population. They come from 40 countries, mainly China, Cameroon, Benin, India, Senegal and Morocco. International students, in majority, enrol in the engineering programme.
The intra-European Erasmus+ mobility enables European students to study as exchange students in the engineering programme or a master’s programme. They contribute to the diversity of the student population.
Upon their arrival at ESIGELEC in Rouen, Normandy, they take part in one of the “Orientation Days” sessions organised at each beginning of semester.
In the medium term, ESIGELEC may consider becoming more involved in Key Action 1 through international credit mobility and possibly participating in Key Action 2 to develop a joint Erasmus Mundus Master, with the aim of diversifying the recruitment routes and nationalities of international students present on campus or at a distance.
The indicators linked to this axis are essentially quantitative through monitoring tables: number of international students by nationality, by programme, etc.
Axis 4
ESIGELEC develops and strengthens its international reputation and influence. The school developed a network of partnerships with 95 partner institutions in 44 countries. Approx. a third are Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreements. It relies on this network to implement exchange programmes, double-degree and joint-degree programmes. ESIGELEC has connections with companies abroad, offers its services for recruting trainees and cooperates with them scientifically.
The school has two permanent representation offices, on which it relies to develop in China and South Asia.
The Erasmus Charter for Higher Education enables better recognition of ESIGELEC in Europe and outside Europe. It aims to meet academic and research needs better and to improve its attractiveness and increasing its position in the European Education Area and internationally.
For this axis, the indicators are essentially qualitative: presence in the media and on social networks, rankings, recognition from French and international institutions.
ESIGELEC’s strategic development to 2030 has been the subject of reflection and a project is being developed. The 2030 vision of ESIGELEC is to be an engineering school member of a major network of higher education and research institutions, globally oriented, recognized as a major player in the economic development of territories and companies, contributing to innovation and progress to face future challenges of society.
Participation in the Erasmus+ programme will enable ESIGELEC to continue to implement its international strategy within the framework of ESIGELEC 2030. It will contribute to :
- Develop new academic offers/services: new programmes, degrees and certificates, courses in English, blended mobility combining physical mobility and distance learning, etc.
- Increase and diversify the countries of origin of international students ; develop student mobility from partner universities, particularly in double degree programmes;
- Continue to implement online teaching, using digital tools and innovative teaching methods; continue to digitalise the management of incoming and outgoing mobility, for students and staff.
- Be a leading School of engineering in the field of systems, digital and energy transition, mobility, and among the leaders in France and in the European Area of Education in embedded electronic systems applied to industry, transport and health.
