Institut d'études politiques de Lyon

History

The Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Lyon (or Lyon Institute of Political Studies) also known as Sciences Po Lyon, was established following an executive decree by General de Gaulle in 1948. This prestigious and highly selective institute is modelled on the former Paris "École Libre des Sciences Politiques" (ELSP) like the other Sciences Po (instituts d'études politiques / IEP) in France (Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Paris, Rennes, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Strasbourg and Toulouse). As such it is considered as a French "Grande École" or elite school and remains an autonomous body within the University of Lyon, which is part of the Coimbra Group along with Trinity College, Dublin, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

The ELSP, as a private institution established in 1872 by Emile Boutmy (along with Hippolyte Taine, Ernest Renan, Albert Sorel, Paul Leroy-Beaulieu and René Stourm), was dissolved in 1945 following a demand coming primarily from the French Communist Party, the strongest political force at that time, as well as other political figures not affiliated with it, such as Jean-Pierre Cot and André Philip. J.P. Cot and André Philip were both members of the Parliamentary Committee on the reform of the State. The ELSP, known then as Sciences Po, was indeed considered as an institution providing the sole Parisian bourgeoisie with a quasi-monopoly over access to the most prestigious positions in the French civil service (the Grands corps de l'Etat or high administrative bodies). More to the point, the ELSP was discredited for having trained many senior civil servants who quickly supported and were actually the backbone of the Vichy France from July 1940 to August 1944.

As per ordinance 45-2284, issued by Charles de Gaulle on 9 October 1945, the ELSP was thus replaced by the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de l'Université de Paris. The Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques was established by the same ordinance in order to oversee it as well as the other instituts d'études politiques -including the IEP in Lyon in 1948- subsequently established throughout the French territory. In order to democratize and rationalize access to the senior civil service, the "National School of Administration" (École nationale d'administration) was created on the basis of a project developed by Michel Debré and Emmanuel Monick. Otherwise, this project was not entirely in the spirit of the programme developed by the National Council of the Resistance (Conseil National de la Resistance or CNR) during World War II, which was willing to sanction and nationalize the ELSP. Was established instead a tripartite and unbalanced structure composed of the FNSP, the ENA, the IEP in Paris (1945) and the subsequent IEPs in Strasbourg (1946), Grenoble (1948), Lyon (1948), Bordeaux (1948), Toulouse (1948), Aix (1956), Rennes (1991) and Lille (1991). While the FNSP is a private foundation, the latter institutions are indeed public.

The vocation of the French instituts d'études politiques has been the study and research of contemporary political science. They are quite distinct from the other traditional elite French schools, in particular the highly specialized Grandes Ecoles in business and engineering, given their multi-disciplinary approach to teaching. All students at the IEPs study a compulsory curriculum that is highly practical and multidisciplinary during its first years and focuses on the full range of the social sciences and humanities. The IEPs, being modelled on the former ELSP, are known in the familiar language under the name of Sciences Po, followed by the name of the city where they are located.

According to article 2 of an 18 December 1989 decree on the status of the instituts d'études politiques, their mission is to contribute to the training of higher civil servants as well as executives in the public, para-public and private sectors, notably in the State and decentralized communities as well as to develop the research in political and administrative sciences.

The Sciences Po approach and style inspired many universities abroad such as the London School of Economics.

Main campus

It is located at the Centre Berthelot within the buildings of a former military health college, which was used during World War II by the then Lyon's Gestapo chief, Klaus Barbie, to torture resistance members, including Jean Moulin. The same buildings were also used by the Ecole Polytechnique from 1940 to 1943 after the school decided to relocate to Lyon (then in the free zone) from its headquarters in the occupied Paris.

Sciences Po occupies an area of 9,500 square meters, contiguous to the premises of the Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation ("Centre d'histoire de la résistance et de la déportation").

Satellite campuses

Sciences Po has established satellite campuses in Bourg-en-Bresse as well as at Jean Monnet University in Saint-Etienne, which will lead to the establishment of Sciences Po Lyon Metropole by 2015.

A Master entitled "AlterEurope" as well as a department of political sciences and urban studies were inaugurated in September 2013 in the campus of Jean Monnet University, in presence of the EU representative in France. The "AlterEurope" Master specialized in urban studies in the European Union and the neighbouring countries is one of the newly established Master of the University of Lyon.

The Heptaconcours

Student selection is based on grades obtained in the French baccalauréat (the examination taken at the end of secondary school) and at a competitive written examination called the Heptaconcours (acceptance/selection rate is currently less 10%), which is co-organized with six other institutes, respectively in Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Rennes, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Strasbourg, and Toulouse. Selected students can then decide in which of these six institutes they will enrol.

Strategic expansion in China

Under the patronage of Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director and a graduate from Sciences Po Aix, Sciences Po Lyon along with the other IEPs of the Heptaconcours, have now organized a competitive examination for Chinese French-speaking students, who will be then able to attend the last two years of the Sciences Po academic curriculum.

Ranking

There is no official ranking for Sciences Po Lyon and it appears irrelevant to consider the ranking of Lyon Lumière University to which Sciences Po is affiliated, but within which it remains autonomous.

Contrary to general beliefs, there is as well no official ranking amongst the various IEPs in France. Sciences Po Paris has been willing to inherit from the prestige of the former ELSP. As such, the commonly held idea is that it is the best IEP. Otherwise, its image as one of the best colleges in international and public affairs has been severely dented by a 2012 report from the French Court of Audit. The latter has reported “a wide range of irregularities, conflicts of interest, financial mismanagement and co-optation amongst friends”, criticizing the overall management by its controversial and former director Richard Descoings. Sciences Po Paris’ image has been further dented by irregularities, which were observed during the selection and appointment of his successor, Frederic Mion.

According to a 2010 research, top-notch students following the competitive written examination organized by the six IEPs of Aix, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, tend to choose Lyon, along with Lille and Strasbourg as their first choices. Accordingly, approximately 55% of the students at Sciences Po hold a French Baccalaureate (equivalent to an A level), predominantly scientific or economic, with a Summa Cum Laude distinction. This percentage is higher than in Bordeaux and Grenoble Institutes of Political Studies (also known as IEP), two IEPs with a separate recruiting process. Such a percentage is also higher than in most of the best French Grandes Ecoles. The IEP Grenoble was part of this common examination, but decided to leave it in 2007 after it was noticed that the best students tended to choose Lyon as their first choice rather than Grenoble.

The current acceptance/selection rate for students willing to enter in the first year of the standard curriculum for the IEP of Lyon, Aix, Lille, Rennes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, is now less than 10% while it reached 18.7% in 2010 and 14.17% in 2013 for the IEP of Paris (additionally, the rate of the so-called international procedure for foreign students or French students with a foreign degree was up to 31% in 2012). That makes the selection process for these six IEPs more competitive than for Paris. The acceptance/selection rate for students willing to enter in the second year of the curriculum of the IEP in Lyon is less than 5% (853 candidates for 42 places available for the 2013-14 academic year).

Accolades

"The IEP in Lyon is one of the most respected institutes in France and both its programmes and international connections are extensive and world renowned" the King's College of London has stressed while Brown University has praised Sciences Po Lyon for its Middle Eastern and North African studies.

Sciences Po Lyon's dynamism and international reputation was underscored by the French newspaper, Challenges, in its ranking of French Business Schools.

Curriculum

Sciences Po Lyon currently offers a 5-year-long programme, with a three-year-long undergraduate programme and a two-year graduate programme in line with the Bologna Process and delivers its main diploma equivalent to a master's degree. The first two years are aimed at giving students a multidisciplinary background, primarily focusing on social sciences such as economics, public law, contemporary history, philosophy, sociology and public policy. Additionally, students need to study at least two foreign languages, such as English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, or Russian.

International partnerships

During their third year at Sciences Po, students can decide either to do a year-long internship or to pursue their studies abroad, at one of 150 partner universities. Amongst these universities are:

In Africa: The University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa;

In Asia: The East China Normal University, Fudan University, the University of Hong Kong, Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China; the Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and the University of Madras in India; Chuo University, the University of Tokyo, Tohoku University and the University of Waseda in Japan; Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea; National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU) in Taiwan;

In Central and South-America: The University of Chile; Our Lady of the Rosary University in Colombia; the University of São Paulo in Brazil; the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México in Mexico;

In Europe: The University of Vienna in Austria; the Université Catholique de Louvain and the Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium; Charles University in Prague in the Czech Republic; the University of Copenhagen in Denmark; the Free University of Berlin, Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Konstanz, the University of Leipzig, the University of Munster and the University of Mannheim in Germany; the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece; the University of Bologna, the University of Florence and La Sapienza University in Italy; the University of Latvia in Latvia; the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands; the University of Oslo in Norway; Moscow State University in Russia; the University of Barcelona, the University of Salamanca and Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain; Goteborg University in Sweden; the University of Bern and the University of Zurich in Switzerland;

King's College London, the Imperial College London, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London, the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom;

In the Middle-East region: Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon; Galatasaray University in Turkey;

In North-America:

Bowdoin College, Brown University, the University of California (including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Santa Barbara), Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania (including the Wharton School), the University of Oregon, and the University of Virginia in the United States;

The École nationale d'administration publique, the University of British Columbia, McGill University, the Université de Montréal (including HEC Montreal), the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto in Canada;

In Oceania: The University of Queensland, the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney in Australia.

Each year, approximately 200 students from Sciences Po have the opportunity to study abroad during the third year of the academic curriculum. Reciprocally 250 foreign students come to study to the IEP in Lyon.

The last two years provide students with further specialization in a wide range of specialities:

In its assessment report in December 2010, AERES, the French Evaluation Agency on Research and Higher Education, praised the excellency of the academic training offered by Sciences Po Lyon. It acknowledged as well the top level international network built by the Institute and underscored that its students are proud of their education. According to the report, 45% of the Sciences Po graduates found an executive position in the private sector in less than three months following their graduation. The other part are usually continuing their studies or preparing a public service exam.

Its research center on Asian Affairs has been graded A+ by AERES, its center GREMMO ("Groupe de recherches et d'études sur la Méditerranée et le Moyen-Orient") on the Middle East an A. The GREMMO is a joint research center along with the CNRS, Lumière University Lyon 2 and the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée.

Overall, Sciences Po Lyon research capacities have received an A, the same grade obtained by the doctoral school of Sciences Po Paris.

Dual Master's degrees

Sciences Po is offering several dual master's degrees with the other top higher education institutions located in the Lyon region.

with École nationale des travaux publics de l'État

Sciences Po collaborates with the engineering school "École nationale des travaux publics de l'État" (ENTPE) within the framework of a joint research degree entitled "Politiques Publiques et Gouvernement comparé" (Comparative Public Policy & Government).

with EM Lyon Business School

Since 2011, a dual degree with EM Lyon Business School has been offered for students who have joined Sciences Po during the first or the second year of the standard curriculum.

with École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

Sciences Po and ENS Lyon (École Normale Supérieure de Lyon) have a joint master's degree entitled ("ADMIRE" Administrateur des Instituts de Recherche et de Diffusion des Connaissances"), specialized in the management of research institutes.

with IAE Jean Moulin University Lyon 3

On 25 November 2012, Sciences Po signed a partnership with Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 business school ("IAE Jean Moulin University Lyon 3"/"Institut d'Administration des Entreprises de Lyon"), which is leading to the award of double-degrees.

CHELS (College des Hautes Etudes / Lyon Science[s] - The Lyon Collegium for Advanced Studies)

Since the 2013-14 academic year, Sciences Po along with Ecole Centrale de Lyon (the Lyon engineering school), VetAgro (the Lyon veterinarian school), ENS Lyon, the Conservatory of Lyon (Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon) has established a Collegium for Advanced Studies, which would result in greater synergies in terms of curriculum, in the delivery of dual degrees and in multualizing their international partnerships.

In particular, ENS Lyon has established partnerships with the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, New York University and the University of Columbia while Ecole Centrale de Lyon has a privileged partnership with the Imperial College.

EMLYON Business School is expected to join the Collegium.

European Master of Public Administration Consortium

Sciences Po Lyon and Sciences Po Paris are both part of the European Master of Public Administration Consortium. This consortium was established in 1990-1991 and has developed a multilateral exchange programs for students and scholars of public administration.

The other European members of this consortium are: Université catholique de Louvain, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Vaasa, German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, Corvinus University of Budapest, University of Limerick, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Geneva, University of Liverpool.

Members of this consortium deliver a joint diploma upon completion of the program.

Sciences Po Europe / the European School of Public Affairs

Sciences Po Lyon along with the other IEPs in Aix, Lille, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse, formed an alliance on 28 June 2013 by establishing Sciences Po Europe / The European School of Public Affairs (ESoPA). The purpose of this alliance is to enhance their international visibility and their current partnerships with other universities. As such, ESoPA has already decided to partner with Paris Dauphine University, considered as the best French university for management sciences and economics.

International double degrees

Additionally, Sciences Po has been working on the establishment of dual master's degrees with the University of Galatasaray in Istanbul, Turkey, the University of Virginia and the University of California in the United States of America

Social life

Social life at Sciences Po Lyon is very active and is one of the reasons for the school’s success. There are fifteen student associations, such as the "Association des Anciens Eleves de l'IEP de Lyon" (Alumni association), "Bobinophile" (for movie fans), "Comequi" (aimed at promoting fair trade),"Déclic"(photography), "La Fanfaraon" (Brass band), "Melting Sciences Pot" (aimed at welcoming foreign students) and Sciences Po TV. Several student papers have also been created such as La Mâche (philosophy and poetry), "Po Go" (music and night life), "Regards d'Ailleurs" (political news and analyses) or L'Ecornifleur (political news), the latter partnering with national print media such as "L'Express". Along with the local newspaper, Lyon Capitale, the graduate students in journalism at Sciences Po Lyon covered the Lumiere 2013 Grand Lyon Film Festival during its holding in October 2013. Moreover, cultural groups, such as "Arriba Do Sul", open students to the world by organizing events that highlight foreign cultures or "cuisine".

The most important and active association is "le Bureau des Etudiants" (BDE or Student Council), which organizes cultural events, conferences with political party leaders, diplomats, opinion leaders, and is primarily aimed at integrating students into school life. As such, the BDE is given the task of organizing theme parties and events in order to create a friendly spirit of solidarity. Its major events include the "WEST" (a weekend of ski), the "week-end d'intégration" (where new students integrate with collective games and parties), and the "Gala de Sciences Po Lyon" (where students and professors are gathered for a night of shows and dance). In fact, students in Sciences Po Lyon usually consider their promotion, and in general all students of the school, as a large "family". This family spirit especially stands out during the "Crit" (a sporting event that brings together all the "Instituts d'Etudes Politiques" of France (IEP of Rennes, Grenoble, Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Aix-en-Provences, Lille), with an important number of dances, songs and costumes that show the solidarity of the school.

Social life at Sciences Po Lyon is also very active thanks to its sport clubs, such as its Soccer, Basketball, Handball, or the famous Rugby Team (the GPRC). The "Bureau des sports" (BDE) manages the school’s athletic life and organizes the "Crit", in cooperation with the BDEs of the other IEPs.

Research and policy

Along with Université Lumière-Lyon 2, the Institute hosts the "Centre de Politologie de Lyon ("CERIEP"), a CNRS research department on politology. In addition to its master programmes, Sciences Po offers a PhD programme in political sciences and participates in research and study programs with the support of national partner institutions such as the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, one of the richest in France. More recently, Sciences Po has established a research group named Triangle, in joint cooperation with the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (French National Centre for Scientific Research), the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS) and Lyon Lumiere University.

Along with the ENS in Lyon and the Université Lumière-Lyon 2, Sciences Po is running the Lyon Institute of East Asian Studies ("Institut d'Asie Orientale"/ IAO), which has been graded A+ by AERES and has been considered as such as the best French research institute in this field. Since 2009, the IAO has been partnering with the Tohoku University within the framework of the Global Center of Excellence project as well as with the University of Beijing and the University of Tokyo for other projects. The IAO is involved in the training of PhD students under an agreement with the École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Ulm and the East China Normal University of Shanghai. IAO members also sit on dissertation committees at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Sciences Po Lyon is continuously expanding its network of partner universities abroad towards Latin America and India. In order to gain greater visibility overseas, its publications are labelled under the publications of the University of Lyon. The latter is grouping the main universities and colleges in Lyon in order to rapidly appear on the top list of Shanghai University's ranking of world universities.

Notable alumni

Despite its relative low number of alumni (8,500 since its establishment), Sciences Po has groomed many prominent figures and senior executives in government, foreign affairs, international organizations (European Commission, OECD, United Nations,...), business (including Fortune 500 companies), academics, arts and media in France and abroad.

Political leaders

Public institutions

Business

Foreign affairs

Media and Entertainment industries

Academics

Other

Notable faculty

Sciences Po faculty are intervening in international, national and local broadcast and print media on a daily basis, primarily on international and national affairs and economics.