The article “En vol” gives us a view of Essonne from the sky, specifically a renowned campus. Which one? It’s up to you to guess!
In the midst of the vast expanses of fields that once occupied part of the Saclay plateau, south of Paris in Essonne, an ambitious higher education project materialized in the 1970s. Where there were once only arable lands, buildings emerged to train engineers and advance scientific research in various fields in France.
The first buildings of this unique site were designed by Henry Pottier, a renowned architect who won the competition to envision this new university campus, marking an important milestone in the creation of a modern and open campus. In 1976, the central establishment of this new campus officially opened its doors, joining the Paris region to become a landmark for engineering education and scientific research. Originally, this relocation aimed to offer larger spaces to accommodate education and student life, far from the constraints of the old urban premises.
Since then, the site has expanded beyond a single institution: several engineering schools and higher education and research institutions have gradually been established on the plateau. Among them are historically specialized schools in science and technology; others are focused on mathematics, statistics, or economics; as well as schools focusing on computer science, telecommunications, and digital systems.
Today, these schools collaborate, share infrastructure, and offer a wide range of engineering education and high-level research programs, making this place one of the most dynamic academic and technological centers in France.
Answer: The Polytechnic Institute of Paris. It includes schools such as the École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris, and Télécom SudParis.
All episodes of “En vol” can be found on france.tv/idf
