Club of the Grandes Ecoles d'ingénieurs for continuing education

For many years, the Grandes Ecoles d'Ingenieurs have drawn upon their vast potential and made use of their strengths in order to provide a service of continuing education. Their privileged position at the center of information networks, the variety of their course offerings, and their research activity allow the schools to maintain a high level of expertise. In addition, the schools' communications with alumni and professional circles enable them to keep abreast of recent developments and newly necessary skills, thus allowing them to modify their programs to meet the demands of industry.
Often possessing a rich vocational and pedagogical tradition, the schools strive to provide, in addition to the specific courses of study they offer, a carefully selected and structured range of offerings chosen to maximize the return on the industry's investment in education.

General presentation of continuous education in France

A network of engineering schools for continuing education : CEIFCO

Motivated by the desire to reinforce their knowledge and understanding of the needs of industry, several Grandes Ecoles decided to create a forum for reflection and exchange of ideas on the subject of continuing education for engineers. Established in 1989 in the form of a club, the CEIFCO currently is comprised of 15 Grandes Ecoles d'Ingenieurs.

Its mission:

• to better understand the requirements for continuing education of industry and government organizations;
• to improve the competencies of its members in continuing education (exchanges of information on teaching methods, quality approach);
• to coordinate the offerings of member schools in order to better meet educational needs;
• to provide information on international needs for continuing education and other European programs, and eventually to develop a common response to these needs;
• to promote innovative teaching methods (use of different communication media, distance learning).

Some examples of CEIFCO activities

Studies and surveys:

• survey on continuing education for engineers in Europe for the Délégation à la Formation Professionnelle (December 1990)
• study on supply and demand in continuing education for engineers in Poland carried out in collaboration with an association of Polish technical universities as part of the activity of the European program TEMPUS (1994-95).

Collective programs :

• Export training for engineers: big systems, high technology
• Goal: successful export, aimed at engineers and technicians in small and medium enterprises
• Neural networks
• Control of industrial risks
• Higher Training on Enterprises and Networks
• Techniques for responding to international calls for tender
• Voice processing
• Better understanding of new concepts in computer science
• Systems management

Working towards quality

The schools of the CEIFCO have joined together to work towards a quality approach in education, inspired by the standardization works already in progress. The schools are coordinating their efforts in order to bring their clients an additional proof of effectiveness.

revu le: 11/10/96.