École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers

Infobox University


name = École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers


motto =
established = 1780
type = Public
president = Jean Paul Hautier
chancellor =
provost =
city = Paris
state = France
coor = coord|48.834066|N|2.357453|E|type:edu_region:FR
students = 4500 [ [http://www.ensam.fr/fr/l_ecole/chiffres_cles fr statistics on the official website] ]
postgrad =
faculty =
campus = Aix-en-Provence,Angers,Lille,Bordeaux,
Châlons-en-Champagne,Cluny,Metz
mascot =
free_label = Institutes
free = Bastia, Chambéry,Chalon-sur-Saône
nobel_laureates =
website = http://www.ensam.fr
colors =
endowment =

The École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers or ENSAM is a French Engineering institute and "grand établissement" and a prominent member of ParisTech (Paris Institute of Technology).

The major fields of study at the ENSAM are:
* Mechanical engineering
* Industrial and manufacturing engineering
* Systems engineering

Most students complete preparatory classes as well as placement tests in order to attend such schools, called "grandes écoles" in France; thus, the freshman year at ENSAM is the equivalent to the third year of university. In most cases, students spend the two first years in one of the many campuses: Aix-en-Provence, Angers, Bordeaux, Châlons-en-Champagne, Cluny, Lille, or Metz. The Paris campus is reserved for third year-students. As all the other "grandes écoles", ENSAM graduates finish with the American equivalent of bachelor of science degree & master's degree. This type of school is considered the French counterpart to the ivy league.

Each year, approximately 1,000 students receive a master's degree [2nd cycle, in french] called the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers", and 50 students receive a doctoral degree [3rd cycle in French] .

History

The school was founded in Liancourt, Oise, under its' creator Duke of Rochefoucauld-Liancourt in 1780; it was originally meant to provide in-depth training for military dragoon officers. After 1800, the institution became known as the "École d'Arts et Métiers".

Under Napoleon's reign it was known as the "Ecole Imperiale des Arts et Metiers".

The second school of this kind was founded in 1804 at Beaupréau (near Angers), but was actually in use after a third one was already functional in Châlons-en-Champagne. The latest campus established was Metz (1997).

The regional campuses were transformed into engineer training institutions in 1907.

Since its inception, the students perpetuate their own "traditions" and folklore, and are members of a student society. They call themselves "Gadz'Arts" , abbreviated from "Gars des Arts" ("Guys from the Arts"). The "Gadz" folklore includes traditional clothing, language, songs and legends, related symbolism, and ceremonials. "Gadz'Arts" activities are independent of the administration of the school and are exclusively run by the students, although the two parts often cooperate for organising cultural or sporting events.

Famous alumni [ [http://www.arts-et-metiers.asso.fr/index.php/m/affichage/p/public_histoire_gadzcel.inc.htm/ fr List of famous alumni on the alumni's official website (FR)] ] (Gadzarts)

*Nicolas Esquillan (Chalons, 1922), Builder of CNIT, La Defense
* Pierre Bézier (Paris, 1927), inventor of CAD
* Jean-Lou Chameau (Lille 1972), president of the California Institute of Technology
* André Ertaud (Paris, 1928), pioneer of nuclear energy
* Alexandru G. Golescu (Paris, 1839), Romanian politician
* Claude Goubet (Angers, 1853), inventor of the submarine
* Wilhem (aka Guillaume-Louis Bocquillon) (Liancourt, 1795 - Compiègne, 1800), composer
* Eric Benhamou (Aix, 1974), former CEO and current Chairman of 3Com and Palm, Inc.
* Jean-François Dehecq (Lille, 1958), CEO of Sanofi Aventis
* Henri Verneuil (Aix, 1940), Famous director

References

External links

* [http://www.ensam.fr/ Official ENSAM website]
* [http://www.paristech.org/ Paris Tech]
*fr [http://www.gadz.org/ Gadz'Arts on the Web]
*fr [http://www.arts-et-metiers.asso.fr/ Société des Ingénieurs Arts et Métiers]
*fr [http://patrimoine.gadz.org/ History]