Institut d'études politiques de Lyon


The Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Lyon also known as Sciences Po Lyon, is a grande école located in Lyon, France. It is one of ten Institutes of Political Studies in France, and was established in 1948 by Charles de Gaulle's provisional government following the model of the École Libre des Sciences Politiques. It is located at the Centre Berthelot within the buildings of a former military health college and operates as an autonomous institution within the University of Lyon. It is the first Institute of Political Studies to have joined the prestigious Conférence des Grandes écoles.
Sciences Po Lyon has established partnerships with more than 160 universities abroad.
The excellency of Science Po Lyon curriculum and academic training as well as the quality of its international network and policy have been appropriately recognized and praised by AERES, the French Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education and subsequently by HCERES, the French High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education.
Sciences Po Lyon is particularly renowned for its expertise in Asian affairs, graded A+ both by AERES and HCERES.

History

Sciences Po Lyon was established following an executive decree by General de Gaulle in 1948. In common with the other Institutes of Political Studies in France, it was modelled on the former École Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris. It is considered as a French "Grande École" or elite school and remains an autonomous body within the University of Lyon.
The ELSP was established as a private institution in 1872 by Emile Boutmy, was dissolved in 1945 following a demand coming primarily from the French Communist Party, the strongest political force at that time, as well as other political figures not affiliated with it, such as Jean-Pierre Cot and André Philip. J.P. Cot and André Philip were both members of the Parliamentary Committee on the reform of the State. The ELSP, known then as Sciences Po, was indeed considered as an institution providing the sole Parisian bourgeoisie with a quasi-monopoly over access to the most prestigious positions in the French civil service. More to the point, the ELSP was discredited for having trained many senior civil servants who quickly supported and were actually the backbone of the Vichy France from July 1940 to August 1944.
As per ordinance 45-2284, issued by Charles de Gaulle on 9 October 1945, the ELSP was thus replaced by the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de l'Université de Paris. The Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques was established by the same ordinance in order to oversee it as well as the other instituts d'études politiques -including the IEP in Lyon in 1948- subsequently established throughout the French territory. In order to democratize and rationalize access to the senior civil service, the "National School of Administration" was created on the basis of a project developed by Michel Debré and Emmanuel Monick. Otherwise, this project was not entirely in the spirit of the programme developed by the National Council of the Resistance during World War II, which was willing to sanction and nationalize the ELSP. Was established instead a tripartite and unbalanced structure composed of the FNSP, the ENA, the IEP in Paris and the subsequent IEPs in Strasbourg, Grenoble, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Aix, Rennes and Lille. While the FNSP is a private foundation, the latter institutions are indeed public.
The vocation of the French instituts d'études politiques has been the study and research of contemporary political science. They are quite distinct from the other traditional elite French schools, in particular the highly specialized Grandes Ecoles in business and engineering, given their multi-disciplinary approach to teaching. All students at the IEPs study a compulsory curriculum that is highly practical and multidisciplinary during its first years and focuses on the full range of the social sciences and humanities. The IEPs, being modelled on the former ELSP, are known in the familiar language under the name of Sciences Po, followed by the name of the city where they are located.
According to article 2 of an 18 December 1989 decree on the status of the instituts d'études politiques, their mission is to contribute to the training of higher civil servants as well as executives in the public, para-public and private sectors, notably in the State and decentralized communities as well as to develop the research in political and administrative sciences.
The Sciences Po approach and style inspired many universities abroad such as the London School of Economics.

Location

Main campus

It is located at the Centre Berthelot within the buildings of a former military health college, which was used during World War II by the then Lyon's Gestapo chief, Klaus Barbie, to torture resistance members, including Jean Moulin. The same buildings were also used by the Ecole Polytechnique from 1940 to 1943 after the school decided to relocate to Lyon from its headquarters in the occupied Paris.
Sciences Po occupies an area of 9,500 square meters, contiguous to the premises of the Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation.

Satellite campus in Saint-Etienne

Sciences Po Lyon has established a satellite campus for a curriculum specialized in Russian affairs in Saint-Etienne at Jean Monnet University,.

Student selection

The Heptaconcours

Student selection is based on grades obtained in the French baccalauréat and at a competitive written examination called the Heptaconcours, which is co-organized with six other institutes, respectively in Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Rennes, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Strasbourg, and Toulouse. Selected students can then decide in which of these seven institutes they will enrol.

Special examination for Chinese students

Under the patronage of Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director and a graduate from Sciences Po Aix, Sciences Po Lyon along with the other IEPs of the Heptaconcours, have now organized a competitive examination for Chinese French-speaking students, who will be then able to attend the last two years of the Sciences Po academic curriculum.

Special examination centres for French students abroad

Since 2014, French students abroad have been able to take the Heptacononcours in four examination centres established abroad: Bangkok, Thailand ; Bogota, Colombia ; Casablanca, Morocco ; Dubai, UAE. Other centres have also been open in the French overseas territories: Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe ; Cayenne, Guyane : Tahiti, French Polynesia ; Fort-de-France, Martinique ; Saint-Denis, La Réunion.

Ranking and reputation

Ranking

Contrary to a general belief, there is no official ranking amongst the various IEPs in France. This derives from the willingness of General de Gaulle and other past legislators in the aftermath of the Liberation of France in 1945 to ensure territorial and social equality amongst students throughout France.
Nevertheless, according to a 2010 research, top-notch students following the competitive written examination organized by the six IEPs of Aix, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, tend to choose Lyon, along with Lille and Strasbourg as their first choices. Accordingly, approximately 55% of the students at Sciences Po hold a French Baccalaureate, predominantly scientific or economic, with a Summa Cum Laude distinction. This percentage is higher than in Bordeaux and Grenoble Institutes of Political Studies. Such a percentage is also higher than in most of the best French Grandes Ecoles.
The current acceptance/selection rate for students willing to enter in the first year of the standard curriculum for the IEP of Lyon, Aix, Lille, Rennes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, is now less than 10% while it reached 18.7% in 2010 and 14.17% in 2013 for the IEP of Paris. That makes the selection process for these six IEPs more competitive than for Paris. The acceptance/selection rate for students willing to enter in the second year of the curriculum of the IEP in Lyon is less than 5%.

Accolades

"The IEP in Lyon is one of the most respected institutes in France and both its programmes and international connections are extensive and world renowned" the King's College of London has stressed while Brown University has praised Sciences Po Lyon for its Middle Eastern and North African studies.
Sciences Po Lyon's dynamism and international reputation was underscored by the French newspaper, Challenges, in its ranking of French Business Schools.

Curriculum, external evaluation and international partners

Curriculum

Sciences Po Lyon currently offers a 5-year-long programme, with a three-year-long undergraduate programme and a two-year graduate programme in line with the Bologna Process and delivers its main diploma equivalent to a master's degree. The first two years are aimed at giving students a multidisciplinary background, primarily focusing on social sciences such as economics, public law, contemporary history, philosophy, sociology and public policy. Additionally, students need to study at least two foreign languages, such as English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, or Russian.
The last two years provide students with further specialization in a wide range of specialities:
During their third year at Sciences Po, students can decide either to do a year-long internship or to pursue their studies abroad, at one of 166 partner universities. Amongst these universities are:
In Africa:
The University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa;
In Asia:
The East China Normal University, Fudan University, the University of Hong Kong, Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China; the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Madras in India; the University of Tokyo, Tohoku University and the University of Waseda in Japan; Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea;
In Central and South-America:
The University of Buenos Aires in Argentina; the University of São Paulo in Brazil; the University of Chile in Chile; Our Lady of the Rosary University in Colombia; the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México in Mexico, as well as the El Colegio de México also in México;
In Europe:
The University of Vienna in Austria; the Université Catholique de Louvain and the Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium; Charles University in Prague in the Czech Republic; Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark; the Free University of Berlin, Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Konstanz, the University of Leipzig, the University of Münster and the University of Mannheim in Germany; the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece; the University of Bologna, the University of Florence and La Sapienza University in Italy; the University of Latvia in Latvia; the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands; the University of Oslo in Norway; Higher School of Economics and Moscow State University in Russia; the University of Barcelona, the University of Salamanca and Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain; Goteborg University in Sweden; the University of Bern and the University of Zurich in Switzerland;
King's College London, the Imperial College London, the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom;
In the Middle-East region:
Institut français du Proche-Orient in Jordan; Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon; Galatasaray University in Turkey;
In North-America:

Bowdoin College, Brown University, the University of California, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia in the United States;
The École nationale d'administration publique, the University of British Columbia, McGill University, the Université de Montréal, the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto in Canada;
In Oceania:
The University of Queensland, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney in Australia.
Each year, approximately 200 students from Sciences Po have the opportunity to study abroad during the third year of the academic curriculum. Reciprocally 250 foreign students come to study to the IEP in Lyon.

Dual Master's degrees and special network of universities and colleges

Dual Master's degrees with French colleges and universities

Sciences Po Lyon offers dual master's degrees with institutions such as the École nationale des travaux publics de l'État, EMLYON Business School, the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, the CFJ Paris-based Journalism School and Training center, Jean Moulin University Lyon 3.

Dual Master's degrees with foreign universities

The institute has established partnerships with Hong Kong Baptist University and Loughborough University.
The institute is also working on the establishment of a dual master's degree with the University of Virginia.

CHELS (College des Hautes Etudes / Lyon Sciences - The Lyon Collegium for Advanced Studies)

Since the 2013–14 academic year, Sciences Po along with Ecole Centrale de Lyon, VetAgro, ENS Lyon, the Conservatory of Lyon has established a Collegium for Advanced Studies, which would result in greater synergies in terms of curriculum, in the delivery of dual degrees and in multualizing their international partnerships.

European Master of Public Administration Consortium

Sciences Po Lyon and Sciences Po Paris are both part of the European Master of Public Administration Consortium. This consortium was established in 1990-1991 and has developed a multilateral exchange programs for students and scholars of public administration.
The other European members of this consortium are: Université catholique de Louvain, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Vaasa, German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, Corvinus University of Budapest, University of Limerick, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Geneva, University of Liverpool.
Members of this consortium deliver a joint diploma upon completion of the program.

Sciences Po Europe / the European School of Public Affairs

Sciences Po Lyon along with the other IEPs in Aix, Lille, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse, formed an alliance on 28 June 2013 by establishing Sciences Po Europe / The European School of Public Affairs. The purpose of this alliance is to enhance their international visibility and their current partnerships with other universities. As such, ESoPA has partnered with Paris Dauphine University

External evaluation by French public agencies

In its report in December 2010, AERES, the French Evaluation Agency on Research and Higher Education, praised the excellency of the academic training offered by Sciences Po Lyon. It acknowledged as well the top level international network built by the Institute and underscored that its students are proud of their education.
Sciences Po Lyon's research center on Asian Affairs has been graded A+ by AERES, its center GREMMO on the Middle East an A. The GREMMO is a joint research center along with the CNRS, Lumière University Lyon 2 and the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée.
Overall, Sciences Po Lyon research capacities have received an A, the same grade obtained by the doctoral school of Sciences Po Paris.
This past evaluation was subsequently confirmed in 2015 by HCERES, the French High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education. HCERES has also praised the excellent network of Sciences Po Lyon's international partners, notably those in the United States. The institute has indeed benefited strongly from being part of the Fulbright Program. This has provided the exchange of professors and lecturers from top-ranked US universities, such as Andrew C. Rudalevige, PhD from Harvard University and Toppan Prize of the best dissertation in political science.

Social life

Sciences Po Lyon has fifteen student associations, including the "Association des Anciens Eleves de l'IEP de Lyon", "Bobinophile", "Comequi","Déclic", "La Fanfaraon", "Melting Sciences Pot" and Sciences Po TV. Several student papers have been created such as La Mâche, "Po Go", "Regards d'Ailleurs" or L'Ecornifleur, the latter partnering with national print media such as L'Express. Cultural groups such as "Arriba Do Sul" organize events that highlight foreign cultures or cuisine.
The Bureau des Etudiants, aims to integrate students into school life through cultural events, conferences with political leaders, diplomats and opinion leaders. Major events include the "WEST", the "week-end d'intégration", and the "Gala de Sciences Po Lyon".
Sciences Po Lyon students participate in the "Crit", a sporting event between all the Institutes of Political Studies in France. The university has sport clubs, such as its Soccer, Basketball, Handball, or the Rugby Team. The "Bureau des sports" manages the school's athletic life and organizes the "Crit", in cooperation with the BDEs of the other IEPs.

Research and policy

Public information and communication (ELICO)

The Information and Communication Research Team of Lyon brings together thirty teacher-researchers and around forty PhD students in information and communication sciences from Sciences Po Lyon, Lyon-1, Lyon-2 and Lyon-3 universities as well as from the National School of Information Sciences and Libraries.

Institute of Human Sciences (ISH)

Established in 1987, the Institute of Human Sciences brings together 23 research laboratories located in Lyon and Saint-Étienne. It covers a wide range of expertise in the fields of human and social sciences, including history, economics-management, sociology, linguistics and political science.

Political science (CERIEP and TRIANGLE)

Along with Université Lumière-Lyon 2, the institute hosts the "Centre de Politologie de Lyon, a CNRS research department on politology. In addition to its master programmes, Sciences Po offers a PhD programme in political sciences and participates in research and study programs with the support of national partner institutions such as the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, one of the richest in France. More recently, Sciences Po has established a research group named Triangle, in joint cooperation with the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and Lyon Lumiere University.

Asian affairs (IAO)

Along with the ENS in Lyon and the Université Lumière-Lyon 2, Sciences Po is running the Lyon Institute of East Asian Studies , which has been graded A+ by AERES and has been considered as such as the best French research institute in this field. Since 2009, the IAO has been partnering with the Tohoku University within the framework of the Global Center of Excellence project as well as with the University of Beijing and the University of Tokyo for other projects. The IAO is involved in the training of PhD students under an agreement with the École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Ulm and the East China Normal University of Shanghai. IAO members also sit on dissertation committees at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Middle East (GREMMO)

Along with the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, the institute has established a research center on Middle Eastern Affairs, called "GREMMO". It is supervised by Fabrice Balanche, an expert on Syria.

Publications

In order to gain greater visibility overseas, its publications are now labelled under the publications of the University of Lyon. The latter is grouping the main universities and colleges in Lyon.

Notable alumni

It has had a low number of alumni.

Political leaders


Notable faculty