Conférence des Grandes Ecoles
Every year over 20,000 senior executives for the industrial and business community of France are granted degrees from the "Grandes Ecoles." The Grandes Ecoles are institutions of higher learning which are either public (placed under the authority of six different ministries), private, or placed under the authority of the chambers of commerce and industry.

They are distinguished by their diversity and autonomy. Every year they test and implement numerous innovations concerning admissions, educational methods, internships, research, and international relations. Their traditionally close ties with industry enable them to constantly adapt their programmes to meet its needs.

Yet the Grandes Ecoles were not satisfied with their existent strengths and in 1969 decided to coordinate their activities and form the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. In 1973 the Conférence was granted the status of a non-profit institution.

Goals

To promote the "Grandes Ecoles" system in the academic and industrial community, to shape policies and advocate programmes in order to ensure the quality of education at all levels.

Members

174 active member schools, including:
130 Grandes Ecoles of engineering
27 Grandes Ecoles of management
17 other institutions with different specialties such as the "Ecoles Normales Supérieurs", 4 veterinary schools, etc.

other institutions and organizations involved in higher education

foreign universities (Belgium, Spain, Portugal) with engineering and management programme

Commissions and Working Groups

Board of Directors
The Board defines the general lines of work, decides on new memberships and on the setting up of new commission

Admissions
This committee works with the Ministry of Education to adapt the programmes of the "classes préparatoires (specialized 2-year undergraduate programmes), examines the admission processes of the Grandes Ecoles, and participates in the reform of the "baccalauréat" (secondary school diploma).

Education-Employment
Through a yearly survey, the commission examines the employment of graduates in industry and makes suggestions for the evolution of education.

Mastères
This commission, composed of representatives of the Grandes Ecoles and industry, accredits and promotes the "Mastères spécialisés", professionally-oriented one-year graduate programmes in state-of-the-art specialties offered by the Grandes Ecoles.

Research
The commission aims to promote the research activities of the Grandes Ecoles, at developing their relationships with public research institutions and extending their research contracts with industry. It encourages the Grandes Ecoles to participate in European research programmes such as Eureka.

International Relations
The task of the International Relations Committee is to increase the recognition of the Grandes Ecoles in the international community, specifically by encouraging exchanges by students, professors, and researchers. Numerous relationships have been established with foreign institutions and universities, mainly in Europe but also in the United States, Canada, Japan, and developing countries.

Physical Training
The directors of physical training programs in the Grandes Ecoles get together to exchange information about their experiences and to develop common plans to integrate physical training in the students' education.

Documentation-Information
In collaboration with the Ministry of Research, the group has worked for ten years to make the students and professors of the Grandes Ecoles aware of the importance of scientific and technical information. Now it deals with new information technologies and promotes the role of the libraries within the Grandes Ecoles. It has also established THESA, a data bank on theses which are being prepared in the Grandes Ecoles of engineering.

Other working groups may be created if necessary to deal with current topics.

The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles organizes a yearly conference with representatives of the Grandes Ecoles as well as of industry, research institutions, and universities. The themes selected are current topics that are of interest both to industry and to the Grandes Ecoles. Some of the past topics have been:
1988: Research-Education-Innovation: the role of the Grandes Ecoles
1990: Continuing Education: needs of the companies, contribution of the Grandes Ecoles
1991: Educational innovation and individual development
1993: The French Grandes Ecoles and their European partners
1994: What are the necessary skills for engineers and managers?

The general delegation is a small structure in charge of the secretarial and administrative management of the association and responsible for general surveys.

This text was taken from the 1995-96 Annuaire des Grandes Ecoles.