THE Rankings by Subject 2021 acknowledges the excellence of Ecole Polytechnique Paris in “Physical Sciences”, “Computer Science”, “Life Science” and “Engineering & Technology”
A majority of students place very to extreme importance on college rankings when considering their next destination for their higher education, and the rankings place further importance when the destination is outside their home country. These rankings prove not only as an indicator of the performance and the reputation of a university or school, but also serve as direct comparison criteria among academic peers. For global schools like Ecole Polytechnique Paris, commonly known as “l’X”, its rankings play a pivotal role in proving that the school is a premier global destination for higher education in the field of science and technology. Currently, a large number of students in this 226-year-old institution are from over 95 different nationalities. Of the most important and followed school rankings are the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings. These rankings reflect the school’s performance based on different criteria such as teaching, research, citations of the school’s researchers in scientific publications, international openness, and industry income.
Ranking and corresponding l’X departments at a glance
The 2021 edition of THE Rankings by Subject acknowledged Ecole Polytechnique’s research achievements in Physical Sciences, ranking 21st worldwide and 2nd in France. The researchers at l’X have been recognized internationally for their work in Physics, and current work is underway on areas like energy storage & smart cities, finding newer ways to improve photovoltaic cells and renewable energy generation enhancements. The school also works together with Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) on programs at the Energy4Climate (E4C) Interdisciplinary Center, geared towards understanding, training, and innovating to put energy transition at the service of climate mitigation.
Gérard Mourou, Professor at Ecole polytechnique received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics together with former student Donna Strickland as well as Arthur Ashkin. 4 Nobel Prize winners and 3 Fields medalists (alumni and long-term academic professors) highlight the school’s excellence in research and innovation.
The rankings of Ecole Polytechnique’s research in Computer Science and Life Sciences also improved significantly and saw an upward shift in this new edition of THE’s ranking. In Computer Science, L’X is now ranked 55th worldwide, 12 places up from last year, bringing the school to 2nd place among French institutions. Subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Data Science are at the heart of this department.
In Life Sciences, l’X now joins the Top 100 worldwide group and ranks 4th in France. At l’X, Life Sciences are studied in their fundamental aspects and are also presented in many physics and mechanical laboratories from the point of view of biomedical engineering.
Speaking of engineering, the Engineering and Technology department is now placed in the Top 125 universities category. Overall, 23 laboratories, 1,600 research personnel, and 1,350 international publications reflect the school’s and staff’s commitment to the betterment of science and technology.
Ecole Polytechnique as a potential destination for Indian students?
With numerous achievements in the past years supported by the recent boost in its rankings and with the newly approved National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which aims to strengthen India’s research capacities and international collaborations, Ecole Polytechnique Paris can serve as a promising destination for Indian students pursuing science, engineering, and technology. The most important reason for the increase of Indian students in France is the signing of the Mutual Recognition of Education Qualifications between the two nations. According to the official statement, “The agreement between the two governments will facilitate mutual recognition of academic qualifications. It will mark a breakthrough providing students across-the-board recognition to degrees acquired in India”. “It will drive mobility of students by mutually recognizing academic qualifications at various levels: starting with secondary school, Master’s to Doctorate degrees, and also recognizes periods of study in the partner country” the statement explains.
Ecole Polytechnique has built strong relationships with prominent Indian higher education institutions and l’X laboratories with various Indian research institutions like the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and IITs. In the years to come, l’X plans on reinforcing its ties with India and attracting more Indian students and researchers on campus. The interests of current Indian students lie in scientific training from the Bachelor’s level to the Master’s and PhD levels, with a specific interest in a more business-oriented education at the Master’s level. Ecole Polytechnique’s academic offer covers all of these interests, and the strongest points of the l’X Bachelor and Master-level programs are that they are taught entirely in English.
“Ecole Polytechnique Paris continually strives to strengthen its academic excellence and scientific advancements. Our recent rankings are proof of the effort and determination of all, including our teachers, staff, researchers, and especially students in making l’X a global hub for academics, research, and innovation. With these new rankings, we increase the school’s visibility and attractivity, meaning that more students, especially from India, will take interest in joining our programs,” states Gaelle Le Goff, Vice Provost for International Relations at Ecole Polytechnique.