The Ecole des Ponts accompanies higher education institutions in in fast growing economy countries in the world, in order to: Improve the quality of training and its relevance to the labour market and society; Improve the level of competences and skills by developing or modernizing curricula; Strengthen management, governance and innovation capacities, as well as the internationalization of institutions, factors of sustainability.
The Programme de Formation d'Ingénieurs d'Excellence au Vietnam (PFIEV) was designed at the initiative of France in 1997, the first class of students being welcomed in 1999. Since 2007, it has been an autonomous program implemented in Vietnam and taught in four institutions:
- Hanoi university of science and technology
- Danang university of science and technology
- Ho Chi Minh City university of technology
- National university of civil engineering
A consortium of French institutions brings its scientific and pedagogical expertise as well as its experience in engineering training to the Vietnamese institutions. This translates notably into the definition of curricula, the development of equipment projects and exchanges of practice with Vietnamese colleagues. Consortium members participate in end-of-study support and annually follow the evolution of the programme with Vietnamese stakeholders. Many students continue their studies in France thanks to the support of the consortium.
This consortium is made up of 9 French institutions:
- CentraleSupélec
- National School of Mechanics and Aerotechnics of Poitiers (ENSMA-ISAE)
- ITM Atlantic
- Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées
- Polytech Marseille
- Grenoble Polytechnic Institute (Grenoble INP)
- National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon
- Toulouse Polytechnic Institute
- Lycée Louis le Grand
The duration of studies is 5 years, on the model of the French Grandes Ecoles of Engineering. The selection is made by a specific competition open to the best students.
The programme is divided into two years of preparatory classes, culminating in a competitive examination, and three years of engineering studies. This programme of excellence covers 300 ECTS credits, is accredited by the French CTI and leads to the Vietnamese master's degree. The opening to the business world is essential and therefore much sought-after (internships, professional speakers, company visits), as well as the opening to the international world.
Four areas of training are offered:
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
The PFIEV program, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the French Embassy in Vietnam, has trained more than 4,000 engineers since its creation.
École nationale des ponts et chaussées is in charge, within the consortium, of the "transport infrastructure", "construction materials" and "hydraulic engineering" specialties (with Grenoble INP) of the PFIEV programme, operated by the Hanoi School of Civil Engineering (NUCE). Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées is also in charge, with INSA Lyon, of the "energy efficiency of buildings" speciality operated at the Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic Institute.
Its involvement within the PFIEV is manifested through the following actions:
- Double-diploma agreement: since September 2003, 2 to 3 Vietnamese students who have completed four years in this speciality have been integrating each year the engineering programme at École nationale des ponts et chaussées within the framework of a double-diploma NUCE Hanoi / École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
- Work on the programmes of the "transport infrastructure", "construction materials", "hydraulic engineering" and "energy efficiency of buildings" options.
- Participation in the jury for the Franco-Vietnamese addendum to the PFIEV: Vietnamese students of the PFIEV wishing to obtain this addendum support their final year project in French before a mixed Franco-Vietnamese jury with the participation of the Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reception of PFIEV teachers: during these one-month stays, the Vietnamese teachers improve their pedagogical methods, their practice of French and their knowledge of engineering training "à la française".
Finally, since 2018, Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées has been the spokesperson for the French consortium of PFIEV institutions.
Useful links :
- National university of civil engineering Hanoi
- Ho Chi Minh city university of technology
In 2019, the programme celebrated its 20th anniversary. It has been hailed as a success story of the influence of French higher education by Minister Frédérique Vidal. The 20th anniversary festivities, held in November in Hanoi, highlighted the programme's successes: selectivity, internationalisation, professional integration of graduates, and increased recruitment prospects. They involved the French Ambassador to Vietnam, senior representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Vietnamese and French institutions.
More information on the 20th birthday of the programme:
National university of civil engineering: http://www.nuce.edu.vn/vi/tin-tuc/le-ky-niem-20-nam-thanh-lap-chuong-trinh-dao-tao-ky-su-chat-luong-cao-tai-viet-nam-pfiev.html
Ho Chi Minh City university of technology: http://www.hcmut.edu.vn/vi/newsletter/view/tin-tuc/5792-chuong-trinh-pfiev-trien-khai-nganh-hoc-moi-ky-thuat-va-quan-ly-nuoc-do-thi
Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam: http://icd.edu.vn/250/chuong-trinh-dao-tao-ky-su-chat-luong-cao-pfiev--20-nam-phat-trien.html/BPF/vi-vn/CMS_Cat/thong-tin-giao-duc-quoc-te/CMS_Detail/1207
Videos :
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKP0bCBEko&t=1s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOCigeM727s