Sciences Po

The Institut d'études politiques de Paris ("Paris institute of political studies"), familiarly known as Sciences Po, is France's premier institute for the study and research of politics, international relations, and other related subjects. It is reputed to be continental Europe's most prestigious institute of its kind and is internationally recognized as a leading site of higher learning and research in its discipline.

History

The name Sciences Po refers to three institutions, l'École Libre des

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Sciences Politiques (founded in 1872) and replaced in 1945 by the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP), a research foundation, which manages the Institut d'Études Politiques (IEP), a teaching school.

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1872-1945

Sciences Po was established in 1872 as the École Libre des

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Sciences Politiques (ELSP) by a group of intellectuals, politicians and businessmen including Hippolyte Taine, Ernest Renan, Albert Sorel, Paul Leroy Beaulieu, François Guizot, and led by Emile Boutmy. Following the defeat in the 1870 war, the demise of Napoleon III, the Commune, these men sought to introduce new teaching reforms in order to renew the training of French politicians. Academic disciplines were studied from a pragmatic and practical point of view: the teachers included not only famous academics but also practicians: Ministers, High civil servants at the Banque de France, members of the Conseil d'État. New matters such as compared constitutional history were introduced. Sport was compulsory, and an important emphasis was put on the study of contemporary foreign societies.

Related Topics:
Hippolyte Taine - Ernest Renan - Albert Sorel - Paul Leroy Beaulieu - François Guizot - Emile Boutmy - 1870 - Napoleon III - Commune - Banque de France - Conseil d'État

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Since 1945: FNSP and IEP

The École Libre des Sciences Politiques was nationalized by General de Gaulle in 1945. Two entities were created: first, the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP), a research foundation, with an assigned goal of "assuring the progress and the diffusion, both within and outside France, of political science, economics and sociology"; second, the Institut d'Études Politiques (IEP), the teaching school, administered by the FNSP.

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Designed to be the official training ground for the leaders of the French Republic, the Institute has played a very large role in France's political history.

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Other IEP and Sciences Po's campuses outside Paris

Since 1945 other Institut d'Études Politiques (IEP) have been founded in France. They are usually known as IEP followed by the name of the town where they are located (eg IEP Rennes).

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The Parisian school, which, though sometimes called "Sciences Po Paris", is normally the only one called just "Sciences Po" without any reference to the town has also four campuses outside Paris: Dijon (specialized in Eastern European studies), Nancy (specialized in Franco-German relations), Poitiers (specialized in Spanish and Latin American studies) and Menton (specialized in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern studies). A fifth campus specialized in Asian studies is expected to open in the near future. After three years of study, all the students in these campuses are automatically transferred to Paris in order to do their master. Below can be found the founding dates of the 9 IEPs

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• Institut d'études politiques de Paris (1872)
• Institut d'études politiques de Strasbourg (1945)
• Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux (1948)
• Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble (1948)
• Institut d'études politiques de Lyon (1948)
• Institut d'études politiques de Toulouse (1948)
• Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence (1956)
• Institut d'études politiques de Lille (1991)
• Institut d'études politiques de Rennes (1991)

Every year, a sports and cultural event (called the Crit) between the 9 IEP nationwide is staged in one of the university's towns, its aim being to improve the links between the universities.

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