Pantheon-Assas Paris II University

University of Paris II

Panthéon-Assas
""

Established	1970, following the division of the University of Paris (1253)
School type	Public (state run)
President	Louis Vogel
Location	Paris
Campus	City
Homepage	[http://www.u-paris2.fr/ www.u-paris2.fr]

The Pantheon-Assas Paris II University ("Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II"), also known as "Paris deux" or "Assas" after the rue d'Assas where its biggest campus is located, is one of the 13 universities descended from the University of Paris. The majority of its students study Law but the university also teaches Business Administration, Economics, Administration, Social and Political Science.

"Assas" is a founding member of the Paris Universitas [http://www.paris-universitas.fr/] alliance (PRES), a union of 6 Parisian universities. The purpose of Paris Universitas is to eventually create a single university offering all subjects.

About "Assas"

"Assas" is a consequence of the break-up of the University of Paris in 1968. Professors at the University of Paris were broadly divided into two factions. The first faction was in favour of maintaining the original Paris Faculties (of Law and Economics, Humanities, etc.). The second faction wanted to create a great generalist university divided in independent small specialised "units of fundamental knowledge". The first faction founded the universities of Paris II Pantheon-Assas (based on the former Pantheon Faculty of Law and Economics) and of Paris IV Paris-Sorbonne (based on the former Sorbonne Faculty of Humanities). The second faction founded Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. The split at the Pantheon was nearly even: all the law professors save one went to Paris II, while all the professors of economics save one chose Paris I. To this day, both universities occupy the evenly divided Pantheon building.

This history is reflected today by "Assas"'s focus on law, with a secondary focus on economics.

All of France's universities are as mainstream as possible, the only thing necessary to enter being a baccalauréat and the marginal admission fee. Universities are required by law to admit anyone who meets the aforementioned conditions. However, "Assas" puts strain on the students from the start and the first year pass rate consistently hovers in the 30% region; [http://www.u-paris2.fr/archives/fichiers/orientation_active_lycee_2007.pdf] the pass rate for subsequent years is also low.

Admission to "Assas"' Bologna Process Master's 2 (former DEA and DESS degrees) is selective and sought after, some programs admitting only 1.7% of applicants. [ [http://www.u-paris2.fr/5297R/0/fiche___formation/&RH=1196161263673] ]

Campus

As most universities in Paris, "Assas" takes its formal name Paris II ("Panthéon-Assas") from the places where it is located.

The administration offices and postgraduate studies are located in a building which is in the plaza that rings the Parisian landmark of the Panthéon. The Panthéon is in the Latin Quarter of Paris where many universities used to be located: it is only a few blocks away from the original Sorbonne, the Collège de France and X's former campus. Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) shares this spot with and they both administer the Cujas Law and Economics Library, which is the largest of its kind in France.

The relatively small but recently refitted "Vaugirard" campus, in the rue de Vaugirard, is the campus where the freshman studies take place.

The school's main campus is a huge 70's architecture building in the rue d'Assas. Its gigantic entrance hall leads to the main amphitheater, which can seat 1,700, where concerts are sometimes held. The building also has over a dozen other amphitheaters of all sizes, countless classrooms and labs, etc. This is also where the student associations are located. Paradoxically the student library at the Assas campus is relatively smaller than the ones at Vaugirard or the Panthéon.

There is another campus located in Melun in the south east of Paris.

The Cujas Library, co-administered with Paris I, with its computerised documentation service, provides access to over 500 data banks and is the largest law and economics library in France.

tudents and alumni

There is a large minority of foreign exchange students. Conversely, "Assas" encourages its students to spend at least a semester in a foreign university, especially other universities in the European Union, through the Socrates and Erasmus student exchange programmes. It also has a few highly selective graduate programs with Ivy League schools and other reputed universities in the United States of America and in Canada; as well as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, University College London and Université de Fribourg; there are similar programs for universities all over the world.

Politicians
* François Baroin, Minister
* Claude Chirac, advisor to Jacques Chirac
* Rachida Dati, Minister of Justice
* Patrick Devedjian, Minister, mp and advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy
* Claude Goasguen, Minister, mp, and former president of the Corpo
* Jean-Marie Le Pen, President of the Front National and former president of the Corpo (1949 to 1950)
* Alain Madelin, former Minister of Economy and Finance, mp, ex-President of Démocratie Libérale (now merged within the UMP)
* François Mitterrand, former President of France
* Hervé Morin, Minister of Defence
* Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister
* Michel Rocard, Minister and mp
* Cecilia Sarkozy
* Jean Tiberi, mp and mayor of Paris' 5th arrondissement
* Simone Veil, Minister and mp
* Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister

Journalists

* Claire Chazal
* Jean-Marie Colombani
* Stéphane Diagana
* Cyrille Emery
* Marc-Olivier Fogiel

Others

* Tabatha Cash
* Séverine Ferrer
* Arno Klarsfeld
* Anne Méaux
* Alexandre Najjar
* Philippe Risoli
* Jean-Marc Rouvière
* Sim
* Ludwik Sobolewski, head of the Warsaw Stock Exchange

Professors
*Georges Vedel, of the Académie française, former member of the Conseil constitutionnel.
*François Terré, member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques
*Prosper Weil, member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques
*Albert Rigaudière, member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques
*Joe Verhoeven, secretary general of the Institut de droit international
*Claude Blumann
*André Castaldo
*Serge Guinchard
* René Chapus
* Jean Carbonnier
* Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg
* Nicole Catala
* Edmond Alphandéry
* Jean-Claude Martinez
* Hugues Portelli
* Philippe Raynaud
* Jean-Paul Betbèze
* Dominique Chagnollaud
* Gilles J. Guglielmi
* Gérard Cornu
* Yves Gaudemet
* Yves Lequette
* Nicolas Molfessis
* Hervé Lecuyer
* Bernard Teyssié
* Louis Vogel
* Jacques Chevallier
* Pierre Delvolvé
* Christian Larroumet
* Martine Lombard
* Philippe Fouchard

Rankings

Trivia

Concerts are sometimes held in the great amphiteatre. Jimi Hendrix performed there in 1967.

The Cairo Airport scene in was filmed inside the main building rue d'Assas.

ee also

* University of Paris
* Sorbonne
* Magistère de Juriste d'Affaires

External links

* [http://www.u-paris2.fr Assas' Official Homepage] — The page is bilingual, just hover over the left-hand menu to see items in English.
* [http://www.assasentreprises.com/ Careers Homepage] — Alumni directory and job offers (in French).
* [http://www.sportassas.com/ Assas' Official Sports Club Homepage] — All about sports at Assas (in French).
* [http://www.defiassas.com/ Défi Assas] — Assas' Official Sailing Club(in French).
* [http://www.assas.net/ Assas.net] — A website and forum managed by students (in French).
* [http://www.bermupa.org/ BerMüPa] — Website of the double degree program between the Humboldt University (Berlin), Ludwig-Maximilians University (Munich) and Paris II, maintained by students (in French and German).
* [http://www.corpo-assas.com/ CORPO] — Website of Assas' CORPO, a very active student association (in French).
* [http://www.doublemaitrise.com/ Double maîtrise] — Website of the double degree program between Assas and Cambridge, maintained by students (in English).
* [http://www.uejf-assas.com/ UEJF] — Website of Assas' UEJF, an association for Jewish students (in French).
* [http://www.pak-assas.com/ PAK] — Website of Assas' rugby team (in French).
* [http://www.geocities.com/assaslutte/accueil.html Wrestling Team] — Website of Assas' wrestling team (in French).
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=paris,+france&ll=48.848324,2.344294&spn=0.003005,0.010274&t=h&hl=en Satellite image of main site from Google Maps]
* [http://www.u-paris2.fr/mja Magistere de Juriste d'Affaires DJCE] — Website of the Magistère de Juriste d'Affaires of Paris II Assas.

Sources