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Bearing the fruits of cooperation: Sino-French Master's Program celebrates its first graduating cohort

2019-04-01

A graduation ceremony was held on the Zijingang Campus yesterday for the first graduating cohort of the Sino-French double degree Master’s Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Presidents of ZJU, École Polytechnique, ENSTA ParisTech and Télécom ParisTech joined together in Hangzhou to celebrate this important milestone of the program and this outstanding achievement for the 10 graduating students.

During the ceremony, ZJU President WU Zhaohui and President of École Polytechnique Eric LABAYE presented diplomas to the graduating students on behalf of ZJU and the French institutions. The 10 students were awarded a Master’s degree in Engineering/Engineering Management from ZJU, and an Advanced Master’s degree from the partner French schools. They also received a graduation honor stole from President of Télécom ParisTech Yves POILANE, and a book, Gerard MOUROU's L'impressionnisme entre art et science, from President of ENSTA ParisTech Elisabeth CRÉPON, as a graduation gift.  

 

 

Accredited by the French Conférénce des Grandes Écoles (CGE), this Master’s program is a result of the longstanding partnership between ZJU, École Polytechnique, ENSTA ParisTech and Télécom ParisTech. In his speech, President WU thanked officials from the partner French institutions for their strong support and spoke extensively on the importance of cross-border sharing of education resources. “It is meaningful to blend the education models from both China and France to train creative talent, who has outstanding leadership and cross-cultural communication skills and will be able to lead future industry.”

President LABAYE believes the program will enable students to take a more global perspective on innovation in their own work. “This executive program has been designed to allow the students to advance in their careers without compromising their professional obligations. Through rich and varied modules, both in France and in China, it offers a unique opportunity to develop managerial skills in a context where science, technology and innovation play a major role.”

Altogether 31 part-time graduate students of ZJU Polytechnic Institute have been enrolled in the program since its launch in September 2016. Participants spend the first two semesters at ZJU and the third semester in courses at the three partner French engineering schools (“Grandes Écoles d'Ingénieurs”), where they learn from top faculty members of the partner institutions and develop a more international outlook during their academic career. During their final semester, students return to ZJU for the preparation and defense of their Master’s thesis.

WANG Yikuai, who graduated from the program in electrical engineering said that the “Program administrators from both Zhejiang University and the French partner schools paid great attention to our needs and gave their utmost support.” She further added that “the rigorous academic program and culturally diverse environment” greatly contributed to her learning and personal development.

The history of the program can be traced back to 2011, when ZJU and ParisTech officially confirmed their partnership by signing an MoU at the institutional level. Ever since, high level engagements have been the norm as ZJU and the partner French schools worked hand in hand to strengthen ties and enhance collaboration. It was also this partnership that partly resulted in the founding of ZJU Polytechnic Institute in 2016.


In Video:

Interview with Eric LABAYE, president of École Polytechnique


Ian Chew and YAN Junhao contributed to the story.