EELISA (European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance) brought together nine higher education institutions located in seven European countries and aims to define and implement a common model of European engineering. It is one of 41 European universities funded by the European Commission for a period of three years under the Erasmus+ programme.
Jean-Michel PEREIRAProfessor at École des Ponts ParisTech / Deputy Head of Laboratoire Navier.
Laureate of the 1st Joint Call for Inter-Institutional Activities: “Deepening Geomechanics: Energy, storage and georisks” with UPM.
How did you reach out to EELISA?
I was informed about EELISA by the internal communication at École des Ponts ParisTech and by a colleague from the UPM. This European university appeared to us as an opportunity to extend our research collaboration to the teaching part of our jobs. Within the “Water” community, our proposal on geomechanics was recently selected for the first Joint Call for Inter-Institutional Activities and will organise student and staff exchanges.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience?
As researchers, we are more apt to discuss research with colleagues from other institutions and to establish new lines of research. Interestingly, EELISA opens new perspectives to collaborate on teaching and exchange best teaching practices between EELISA members.
Why do you think people should join EELISA?
EELISA’s activities constitute an opportunity for professors to reach out to a diverse audience of students, and also to inspire new vocations towards research for those students who want to think outside the box. Conversely, students who join EELISA will discover new places to teach and do research. It allows the cultivation of diversity!
Alexandre MoinyMaster’s Degree Student in Energy Transition and Territories.
Co-founder and co-leader of EELISA’s 1st Student Community “Energy Transition and International Exchange”.
How did you reach out to EELISA?
I heard about EELISA in September 2021. My academic advisor forwarded me an invitation to a FAFA (a Franco-German organization) congress in Brittany on energy transition. EELISA invited students from French and German universities (PSL, FAU and École des Ponts ParisTech) working in this field to meet and potentially create a new community. Guess what? That's what happened afterwards.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience?
We had gotten along so well at the FAFA event that we created the first student-led EELISA community in Fall 2021. We organized a trip to Germany in Spring 2022 at our German partner university. It was a moment of community building, defining the next steps, knowing more about one another’s specializations and research, but also of debating energy transition. We had the chance to visit the German headquarters of Framatome (a Franco-American nuclear energy company). It was the perfect representation of the energy industry’s complexity and controversy.
Why do you think people should join EELISA?
Taking part in EELISA was one of the most memorable moments of my school year. This program allows you to learn more about your field and in a fun way, to develop your communication skills in foreign languages and discover other cultures autonomously. And of course, to make friends all over Europe.
Julie KleinhansEngineering Student / Student Representative at the École des Ponts ParisTech Academic Advisory Board.
Co-president of the EELISA Student Council / Member of the EELISA Academic & Scientific Board.
Co-coordinator of the EELISA Student Council in Pisa.
How did you reach out to EELISA?
I am one of the students elected to the École des Ponts ParisTech’s Graduate School Council for 3 years. Thanks to this position, I had the opportunity to become one of EELISA’s first student representatives in February 2021.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience?
EELISA encouraged me to go around Europe and meet a lot of students. All the in-presence and online meetings helped me in my reflection on ways to learn, teach and bring people together.
Why do you think people should join EELISA?
Student voices are essential: The Alliance is mainly built for us! The head of the Alliance and professors need our feedback to help things evolve. We shouldn’t be shy or hesitate to challenge our universities with the changes we want (for example, by encouraging the creation of courses accessible for English-speakers throughout the Alliance).
Adèle MazurekWeb projects & Scientific Mediation Manager at École des Ponts ParisTech.
Member of the “Science for Sustainably Envisioning Reality and Information for an Engaged Society” EELISA Community.
Participant to the "Crowdsourcing and Championship against Disinformation" project.
How did you reach out to EELISA?
I heard about EELISA several times, but I didn’t really know what it was until I attended an onboarding session organized by École des Ponts ParisTech in March 2022. The First EELISA Call for Joint Inter-institutional Activities in Communities last July was an opportunity for me to be directly involved in an EELISA community.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience?
The call for joint activities gave me the opportunity to be involved in an EELISA Community led by UPM, for the “Crowdsourcing and Championship Against Disinformation” project. It fits our initiative at the Library, Archives and Heritage Department to better equip our students against disinformation. Besides, we are in the process of acquiring digital badges for our students who will complete the library courses on disinformation.
Why do you think people should join EELISA?
EELISA is a great opportunity to work with different people from various socio-cultural backgrounds, with a variety of skills! It helps students, faculty and staff members to connect with other universities and share knowledge.
Paul RambachAcademic Head of the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Department at École des Ponts ParisTech.
Member of the “Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Future” EELISA Community.
Participant in the “Research-Based Learning” Symposium at ITU.
How did you reach out to EELISA?
I first heard about EELISA through a colleague who was already involved in EELISA activities.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience?
My experience with EELISA is mainly based on my participation in a symposium dedicated to research-based learning held at Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi (ITU).
The main lessons would be the shared desire to cooperate and the perspective on our working methods through the diversity of profiles. Our university partners face issues that we don't, such as managing very large groups of students, which strongly impacts their teaching methods.
Why do you think people should join EELISA?
People should join EELISA for the extraordinary opportunity to create a Europe based on educational cooperation rather than regulations or trade. Also, this framework allows us to overcome the administrative stranglehold that we sometimes feel.
Brigitte Vinçon LeiteProfessor at École des Ponts ParisTech.
Researcher at the Water, Environment and Urban Systems (LEESU) Laboratory.
Member of the “Water in an area of Change” Community.
Activity designer of the Workshop “Stormwater in the sustainable city”, Champs-sur-Marne.
How did you reach out to EELISA ?
I am a researcher at the Water, Environment and Urban Systems Laboratory (LEESU) of the École des Ponts et Chaussées ParisTech (ENPC). I learnt about EELISA through the School's internal communication.
Can you share key takeaways from your experience ?
One of the EELISA’s aspect that interested me a lot was the idea of communities on a common issue. With a colleague from LEESU, we joined the "Water in an area of Change" Community launched by the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM). In this framework, we proposed a student workshop in May 2022, in line with environmental measurements. It was entitled Stormwater in the sustainable city. We had two fieldwork sessions on the ecological functioning of a small waterbody for rainwater management and also on an experimental site for monitoring the functioning of “rain trees”. Then, we visited a neighbourhood in Paris where nature-based solutions are used for stormwater management. During this workshop, there were exchanges between some students from École des Ponts and other EELISA participants (students, staff, etc.) mainly coming from Madrid (UPM) and Paris (PSL).
Why do you think people should join EELISA ?
What seems very important for me in what EELISA is proposing is this vision of moving together towards a common training track for European engineers that can best integrate the dimension of ecological and energy transition. From this point of view, it is necessary to coordinate with other partner universities with the same objective. Finally, I would like to take the example of the last summer’s Summer School organised by PSL, to show the interest of EELISA for PhD candidates or researchers. Open to students and PhD candidates from EELISA partner universities, a LEESU PhD candidate was able to attend the session entitled "European School of positive impact and responsibility". She had a very positive and amazing experience!