École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris

Infobox_University
name = École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris

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established = 1896
type = Public university
director = Alain Fuchs
city = Paris
country = France
website= http://www.enscp.fr/ |

The École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris or ENSCP ("National Chemical Engineering Institute in Paris") is an elite chemical engineering college founded in 1896 and located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. It is one of the founding members of ParisTech (Paris Institute of Technology). The students enter the school after highly competitive exams known as the Concours Commun Polytechnique, following at least two years of Classes Préparatoires. The school is a research center hosting 9 laboratories which conduct high level research in various fields of chemistry.

History

The École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris was founded in 1896 by Charles Friedel, a chemist and mineralogist who headed the school until 1899. At the time, the school was called the Laboratoire de chimie pratique et industrielle. It was located in the 6th arrondissement (rue Michelet), where it stayed until 1923.

After the death of Friedel, Henri Moissan took the reigns of the school. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1906, while he was director. Moissan made student admission subject to competive exams and renamed the school Institut de chimie appliquée (Institute of Applied Chemistry).

In 1907, the school began delivering a prestigious masters of engineering. In 1907, Moissan died and a transitional directorate was created. Soon thereafter, Camille Chabrié was named director. The school closed when World War I started and reopened in 1916. 1916 also marked the first year a female student was admitted; the ENSCP was one of the first engineering schools in France to do so.

In 1923, the school moved to its current location, on the rue Pierre et Marie Curie (in the 5th arrondissement). The buildings were designed and built by Henri-Paul Nénot, architect of the Sorbonne. In 1932, the school became l'Institut de Chimie de Paris (Paris Institute of Chemistry). Finally, in 1948, it became the École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris (ENSCP).

ENSCP Directors

*1896 - 1899 : Charles Friedel
*1899 - 1907 : Henri Moissan (Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
*1907 - 1908 : collective direction
*1908 - 1928 : Camille Chabrié
*1928 - 1938 : Georges Urbain (member of the French Academy of Sciences)
*1938 - 1950 : Louis Hackspill
*1950 - 1961 : Georges Chaudron (member of the French Academy of Sciences)
*1961 - 1976 : Jacques Bénard
*1976 - 1985 : Fernand Coussemant
*1985 - 1987 : Jean Talbot
*1987 - 1992 : Claude Quivoron
*1992 - 1996 : Bernard Trémillon
*1996 - 2005 : Danièle Olivier
*2006 - : Alain Fuchs

Research units

Notable research units includes:
* Photovoltaic Energy Development and Research Institute, École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris in association with CNRS. Director Olivier Kerrec [http://www.enscp.fr/spip.php?article206] and Research Director Daniel Lincot [http://www.physorg.com/news139844301.html] .

Notable alumni

*Eugène Schueller, founder of L'Oréal
*Jacques Bergier
*Olivier Kahn
*Jacques Livage

External links

* [http://www.enscp.fr/ Official site of ENSCP]
* [http://www.chimie-paris.org/ ENSCP Alumni association]
* [http://www.paristech.org/ ParisTech website]

References