As part of The Third Session International Workshop of Graduate Students of Zhejiang University, four teachers and thirty graduate students (including Masters of Engineering and Master of Engineering Management students) of Polytechnic Institute took part in an advanced study tour in France from 17 July to 25 July 2018. The tour revolved around three themes: “The discovery of the Training Model of French Engineer Education System, the discovery of Ecosystem of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Paris-Saclay region, and the discovery of the culture in Paris.

Five famous French engineering schools including Mines ParisTech, Telecom ParisTech, Chimie ParisTech, Ecole Polytechnique and ENSTA ParisTech had given strong support and warm reception to the delegation. During this period, the delegation had also visited the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in France, the Station F incubator, Agoranov incubator, Drahi X innovation center and so on, and had in-depth talks with the CEOs of two start-ups.

The unique education system of the top engineering schools in France has spoken to the teachers and students of the Polytechnic Institute. They put attention on the basic knowledge of mathematics and physics, strong links with enterprises, along with targeted training fulfilling the actual needs of the society have deeply touched the teachers and students of the Polytechnic Institute.

This tour provides a platform for graduate students to exchange and learn from each other. they have obtained an understanding of the French elite engineers' education, deepened their knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship, and possess a new perception of incubators. During this period, the graduate students also conducted a team-based humanistic study in Paris to explore important historical sites and cultural heritage to enhance cross-cultural communication skills.

The impressions of the graduate students are summed up below: “This is an education system where so many outstanding Nobel Prices laureates and great engineers have been taught; this is an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem where the word 'entrepreneur' was conceived; this is a city where Balzac, Dumas, Hemingway once walked. In order to acquire new techniques and new visions, it is essential for us, the future engineers in China, to move outside our limited circle and draw on the wide experience.”

Source: Wang Dawei