(EIVP) The Paris Urban Engineers School

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Nicholas Spencer
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1 (EIVP) The Paris Urban Engineers School 1. The history of the School The object of the EIVP curriculum is to create a corps of engineers capable of analyzing urban problems from a global and interdisciplinary point of view. The school was created in 1959 to train engineers in the design and implementation of urban strategies. At this time, the school was an answer to the new developmental constraints Paris and other cities had to face. The diploma was accredited by the "Prefecture of Paris. In 1971, the Prefecture asked that the school s educational program be recognized by the State, and this became effective on July 21 st of that year. The school really became the EIVP in Its original mission (training specialists in urban technology) was updated with the following objectives: To train public service administrators who will provide a link between elected officials and the public; and To train engineers to be effective representatives of infrastructure owners. The total number of students was then determined each year by the City of Paris, according to its internal needs. The program has evolved over the years. In 1986, the City of Paris s need for new engineers decreased. At the same time, a cooperation between local authorities started to grow and this inspired the City of Paris to ask students who were non civil servants to take part in the program (until then, upon joining the school, a student would be paid and have local civil servant status). The idea was that the new category of students would work for other local authorities or companies working in partnership with the public sector. EIVP - 1

2 2. The Concept of Urban Engineering today The concept of urban engineering has evolved considerably over the last 40 years. The emergence of larger urban agglomerations have created a real paradox: on one hand, technology brings more comfort, better hygiene and longer life, while, on the other hand, the living conditions in urban areas are getting worse. The need for profitability, efficiency and immediate results comes up against the harsh realities of the city, such as unemployment, homelessness, urban decay, and the resulting social problems. Decisions have to be made according to the complex environment of urban life where technical, legal, financial, social and human problems are mixed. The "urban engineers" are the conductors of the orchestra, essentially the people who unite and communicate with the users and their representatives. They know, from education and experience, the essential aspects of every specialty. With their synthetic and analytical mind, they use innovative methods and ideas to come to a consensus, while taking into account the input of civil servants. The EIVP training provides an education where young men and women can obtain a basis of a knowledge that will enrich their life. Thanks to its interdisciplinary curriculum the school allows the students to discover and to study very different fields such as water quality, network organization, waste management, environment and pollution, in order to design, build and maintain the necessary infrastructure. The EIVP is a springboard into professional life because of the numerous training periods (internships) and the close support given to all students throughout this program. EIVP - 2

3 3. The training at EIVP The EIVP provides an integrated and diverse urban engineering education. All the topics are taught by emphasizing the links between them, and there is no specialization. All students follow the same courses, laboratory classes, conferences, etc. Students approach the job market with different expectations depending on their experience with internships and school projects. At present, some project topics are chosen entirely by students based on their personal interest. Examples of 2 nd year projects centered on industrial processes have included studies of the subway ticket, waste treatment or street organization. Entrance to the school is based on a competitive exam taken after a 2-year scientific program to which only the top 10% high school students are admitted ( classes preparatoires ). This is the traditional way of getting into an engineering school in France. Many students have to repeat the second year of classes preparatoires if they were not admitted to an engineering school after the second year. EIVP like all engineering schools lasts for 3 years. Only the students who obtain the highest grades will be invited to become Parisian civil servants. The school is also open to students who have graduated from university (after 4 years), and these selected students follow a two-year training program The objectives of the training are : To provide engineers with a solid knowledge of urban technology. However, it is understood that professional engineers must maintain and update this knowledge all along their careers. To use integrated teaching methods which favor a practical application of the theoretical knowledge, taking into account economical, legal and legislative factors. To prepare engineers to real life professional experience and therefore provide them with skills that will allow them to easily communicate with various stakeholders, EIVP - 3

4 including users. They are especially able to share knowledge of a technical nature, to negotiate contracts, and implement projects The structure of EIVP educational program The "vertical line of teaching (core urban engineering) is as important as the "transversal aspect (cross-discipline knowledge, social sciences, other nonengineering technical knowledge, etc.). These two types of teaching and learning are necessary for a real understanding of urban systems. Consequently, the training has been divided into three parts : science and technology; communication, training periods, international perspectives; and economy and law. Classes account for 43 % of the curriculum. Projects, oral presentations, seminars, visits and conferences represent 15 % of it. Training periods and study trips (in France and abroad) take 24 % of the time. The final 18 % of the time is devoted to foreign languages. Teaching time is divided into "half-day" sessions of three hours. According to their importance, the instruction lasts from 5 sessions (15 hours) to 25 sessions (75 hours) Science and technology This section includes: mathematics, materials science, physics, energy, architecture, structural engineering, road systems, networks, urban spaces (environment, landscape, town planning, traffic, etc.) The figure illustrates this part of the program: EIVP - 4

5 Urban Engineering INNOVATION Technological Watch Sciences and Techniques Laws and Economy Communication Mathématics Materials Sciences Geotechnics Fluid mechanics Architecture and Civil Engineering Road systems and networks Energies Thermal Power Electrical Engineering Acoustics General Building Techniques Urban Space Planning Environment, Town Planning Landscapes green spaces Communication, internships, international perspectives This section includes: Communication based on data (computer science, intelligent systems, electronics and automation, "urban data"); Human communication (sociology, urban systems and networks, team management, oral expression, foreign languages); Technical communication (communication skills, negotiating techniques, projects presentation and strategies);and Communication between institutions (professional institutions, municipalities, schools,...) EIVP - 5

6 Training periods in the form of internships that take place during each of the 3-year program represent a big part of the training. There are four of them, and their objectives and lengths vary. The first one, after one month of instruction at the school, is an applied training period during which the student directly applies some of the technical skills previously acquired. It lasts one month. The second one lasts 8 weeks during which the students are in charge of a team. The third one also lasts 8 weeks and is a technical training period. Finally, the fourth one lasts at least three months during which the student has to work as an engineer. The projects carried out are supposed to supplement the training and allow students to work in teams. For example, the second year program includes a project pertaining to the water supply and drainage of a town. It has a major technical component and requires a financial analysis. This project has to be presented to an examining board of technicians and elected officials. The third year projects are the most comprehensive and complex. In one case, the objective is to address real life architectural needs from a local authority. The students visit a site where a building is envisioned (a client gives students the particular building type and specifications), design the building which requires them to conduct the necessary technical studies (reinforced concrete, pre-stressed concrete, steel structures, geotechnics, acoustics, etc.), and present their project with a scale model. There is also a project that involves an urban planning study, generally based on one neighborhood of Paris. This figure shows what constitutes this part of the program: EIVP - 6

7 Urban Engineering INNOVATION Technological Watch Sciences and Techniques Laws and Economy Communication Training Periods, International Languages oral expression management Historical records Computer Science Teletransmission Modeling Elected officials and user s Popularization (of knowledge) Consensus Practice Training Periods and oral presentations Law and economy This section includes the following courses : Law (public law, urban law, municipalities law, occupational law, etc.); Codes and regulations (liability, safety, hygiene and public health, French and European standards); Statistics, Numerical Analysis; Project management (investment options, organizational skills, global cost analysis, optimum resources management, work supervision); Maintenance and operation of infrastructures; Economy (economic mechanisms, flows of money, the international monetary system, the terms and conditions to the creation of a company, etc.); EIVP - 7

8 Accountancy (financial analysis and control), local finances; and Owners and prime contractors roles and rules, government contracts, public service management. This figure summarizes this part of the program: Urban Engineering INNOVATION Technological Watch Sciences and Techniques Communication Laws and Economy Government Contracts Finance Laws and main legal principles Companies rights Contracts Operational Research Statistics Laws, decrees and rules (health, hygiene, town planning, standards,...) Owner s role Management and Global Cost Maintenance Quality Process EIVP - 8

Bachelor of Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering Technology KEY INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS Bachelor of Engineering Technology ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Location Duration Delivery Credits Level Start Dunedin Three years full-time; part-time