As part of TheThird Session International Workshop of Graduate Students of ZhejiangUniversity, four teachers and thirty graduate students (including Mastersof Engineering and Master of Engineering Management students) of PolytechnicInstitute took part in an advanced study tour in France from 17 July to 25 July2018. The tour revolved around three themes: “The discovery of the TrainingModel of French Engineer Education System, the discovery of Ecosystem ofInnovation and Entrepreneurship in the Paris-Saclay region, and the discoveryof the culture in Paris.

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

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

This tour provides aplatform for graduate students to exchange and learn from each other. they haveobtained an understanding of the French elite engineers' education, deepenedtheir knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship, and possess a newperception of incubators. During this period, the graduate students alsoconducted a team-based humanistic study in Paris to explore importanthistorical sites and cultural heritage to enhance cross-cultural communicationskills.

The impressions of the graduate studentsare summed up below: “This is an education system where so many outstandingNobel Prices laureates and great engineers have been taught; this is aninnovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem where the word 'entrepreneur' wasconceived; this is a city where Balzac, Dumas, Hemingway once walked. In orderto acquire new techniques and new visions, it is essential for us, the futureengineers in China, to move outside our limited circle and draw on the wideexperience.”