International relations

Lasting pluralist relations

The international aspect is central to a student's education in today's world, and the command of the English language is part of this, something our schools are firmly committed to. With this in mind, we also favour innovative teaching methods in order to eliminate certain obstacles and legacies that can sometimes stem from a less than ideal secondary education.

The most important aspects, however, lie elsewhere: encouraging open-mindedness, understanding of other cultures and countries, and considering other perspectives on life and on professional practice. There is also no substitute for the in situ experience that will give the student a lifetime of memories. For over twenty years now we have been implementing a winning strategy that favours robust partnerships with foreign universities and institutions with which we are familiar and that are familiar with us. They are able to accommodate our students across the five continents and promote this vital global perspective.

The international aspect - the heart and soul of the Group

Whilst one of our aims is to give our students an international outlook, our schools also host several hundred students from all around the world every year. The programmes offered by both our schools and our foreign partners are developed in close collaboration with our partners in order to ensure that our students are not setting off into the unknown and that their experiences in other countries are in no way detrimental to their progression or their course.

The essential command of English

How can you successfully complete a higher education course in today's world without a good command of the English language? With this in mind, our schools place great emphasis on immersion, with the ISEG Marketing & Communication School offering an English Summer Session at the end of the first year that consists of an intensive month-long course designed to encourage students to speak English and remove any inhibitions they may have. IPSA, for its part, now offers a six-week English immersion programme at the end of the first year, whilst with some pathways, such as those offered by ISG, English is central to the teaching curriculum. The 5th year of the ISEG Business & Finance School's International Business specialisation is taught entirely in English. Epitech offers students the opportunity to complete a placement abroad as of their first year whilst EPITA gives students the chance to spend a semester abroad as of their 2nd year.

At Sup'Biotech, meanwhile, English is now compulsory, particularly since it operates in a sector that is dominated by American and Anglo-Saxon companies, and students are required to complete a language placement in an English-speaking country in their first year. In their 3rd year, students spend a semester at a partner university and half of their classes are taught in English throughout the rest of the year. 4th and 5th-year classes are taught exclusively in English, and as is the case with the other schools in IONIS Education Group, in addition to English, students can also choose to learn or improve their knowledge of other languages to supplement their training (Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, etc.).

Joël Courtois
Managing Director
of EPITA

EPITA DNM

"The school has been offering a National Master’s Diploma (DNM) in science and technology with a specialisation in IT for two years now as part of a training programme aimed primarily at foreign students and French graduates looking to move abroad.
This programme makes it easier for young foreign citizens to settle in France, with around a third of students generally remaining in France after completing such a programme and another third returning to their home country. Regardless of their choice, 80% of students go on to maintain professional links with France in their working lives. Some French companies based abroad offer this programme to employees from the countries in which they have branches."

Double diplomas

Promoting international mobility has a number of advantages, including the opportunity for students to obtain a double diploma, in partnership with our host establishments in other countries. The ISEG Business & Finance School, in conjunction with ISM and St John's University in New York, for example, now offers students the possibility of obtaining an accredited MBA in international management. Many schools offer double diplomas in partnership with other establishments, including Sup’Biotech, ISG, EPITA the IPSA, among others.
More and more agreements are being signed with foreign partners every year, and such agreements are also becoming more extensive, demonstrating a clear desire to promote an international experience for our students. Whilst several hundred of our students set off to study abroad every year, however, most of our schools also host foreign students, such as EPITA, for example, which offers a number of specialisations as part of its international Master’s (DNM).

The export mission

As part of the practical teaching administered at ISG, students following the Multinational pathway put together an export project over the course of their studies, comprising a sector-specific analysis of a market or communications for a French company looking to enter international markets. This experience enables them to familiarise themselves with companies' requirements whilst at the same time discovering a new professional culture.

Anne-Marie Rouane
Managing Director
of ISG

ISG: Make the world yours

"The international aspect has been a central avenue of development for ISG since its creation in 1967, reflecting the needs for openness and understanding in a globalised world that requires our students, as future managers, to continually adapt.
ISG has since chosen to obtain a number of international accreditations. A holder of the Erasmus Charter, a member of the EFMD, the AmCham and the CLADEA, accredited by the ACBSP, and eligible for the EPAS, ISG is developing its network of partner universities and consolidating its positioning within Europe as well as in Asia, America, the Middle East and Oceania.
Furthermore, day-to-day life at ISG resembles life on an international campus, with individuals of multiple nationalities crossing paths and sharing classrooms, living side by side and enjoying evenings out together. Some of our programmes, such as the International Bachelor and the International Track, as part of the Grande Ecole Masters course, can be taken entirely in English and give students the opportunity to obtain a double diploma."

Agreements spanning the four corners of the world

Every year, our International Relations departments develop new international partnerships to complement the 250 agreements already in place.