Sino European Forum Pt 2009.11.16

中欧教育论坛 - Sino-European Forum - 2009/11/16 - Yannick Benichou 1/33

Testimony of aFrench student in China

Yannick Benichou

潘伯良

留华法国人的经历


Testimony of a French student in China

• Ecole Polytechnique

综合理工大学 - 巴黎高科• Tsinghua University

清华大学研究生• Areva - Core design engineer

阿海珐 - 核反应堆设计工程师

Yannick Benichou

潘伯良

留华法国人的经历


• Birth of a whole life project

• Two years in Tsinghua University

• Summary and perspectives


Toulouse 图卢兹玫瑰之城，航空之都

Primary School

Secondary School

小学

初中

高中

China高考

• 1991 : moved to Toulouse

• 2001 : high-school graduated

FranceBaccalauréat


A peaceful childhood…

20011991

• Without any link with China Natural evolution in French republican system

Time to become a man…


Hard works begins...

• After Baccalauréat ( 高考 ), best students apply for Preparatory Classes to Elite Universities

• System inspired from China Imperial Examinations

China高考France Baccalauréat

Bachelor

Master

PhD

本科

硕士

博士

Highly selective process

PCEU 预科

Elite Universities

大学校

科举


Hard works begins...

• Preparatory Classes : two years of intensive Mathematics and Physics

• After very highly selective examination, admitted at Polytechnique ( 综合理工 )

PCEU 预科

Elite Universities

大学校

One year military training一年军训

高考


China’s Appeal

• Started to study Chinese language at Polytechnique• Why ? 缘分 - Importance of Chinese in Elite Universities• With a Peking University PhD graduated teacher

预科大学校

• Highly attractive culture

I have to go there !


Preparation to theGreat Journey

1. Decide to study in China for a Master Degree

2. Realize the exponential development of the Chinese economy

3. Learn Chinese through intensive courses...

4. Build a personal development project

5. Choose Physics, then Nuclear Energy : a very challenging subject

6. Learn Chinese during a summer internship...

7. Discover excellent Chinese Universities


Summer trainingsin China

• 1 month of language training at BLCU

• 北京语言文化大学 - 汉语课• 1 month of worker internship near Nanjing

• 社会实践 – 安徽马鞍山 – 管道检查工人

• Confirmation of China’s appeal !

• Very important step for potential applicants


Preparation to theGreat Journey

8. Find a sponsor (scholarship from Areva)

9. Apply to Tsinghua University - INET

10. Convince French staff - first student from Ecole Polytechnique

11. Apply to CSC scholarship in the frame of ParisTech program

12. Intensively learn Chinese before the departure !

13. Travel all around China before the start of the school year

14. Learn a lot about Geography and History...


恍然大悟A great discovery

• An emotional and subjective decision...

Attraction to Chinese language

and culture

Departure to China 决定留华


恍然大悟A great discovery

• An emotional and subjective decision...• ... happened to be an excellent rational decision

Attraction to Chinese language

and culture

Extraordinary carrier opportunities

Top-rated Universities

Enhance people’s reciprocal comprehension

State of the art research

Departure to China 决定留华


ParisTech exchangewith China

ParisTech

MSc

Chinese

本科

预科

P-C

大学校

Elite

Univ.

China高考

Baccalauréat

硕士

BSc

Chinese diploma

Chinese diploma + French diploma

French diploma

9 partner Universities in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing


ParisTech exchangewith China

• Three possibilities :1. For students who already

speak and write Chinese2. For students who want to

take time to learn Chinese and discover China

3. For students who don’t wish to commit for three years

MSc 1Chinese

MSc 2MSc 1

MSc 1Chinese MSc 2


My duration in China

• Two years Master at Tsinghua University


Arrival at Tsinghua

• Installation in dormitory (thanks to CSC scholarship)

• Hear about Tsinghua’s motto

Facta non verba 行胜于言


My duration in Tsinghua

• Master student at Institute of Nuclear and new Energies Technology (INET) - 核研院硕士研究生

• Complete immersion in China : Master program strictly identical to all Chinese students

• Only foreign student in my class → warmly welcomed !


My duration in Tsinghua

• Master student at Institute of Nuclear and new Energies Technology (INET) - 核研院硕士研究生

• Complete immersion in China : Master program strictly identical to all Chinese students

• Only foreign student in my class → warmly welcomed !• Master in two distinct years - equivalent to France

« Research Master »– 1 year of academic courses– 1 year of scientific research


M1: Academic courses

• From « Advanced Mathematics » to « Monte-Carlo method applied to neutron transportation » or « Classical Chinese novels »


M2: Research project

• Scientific paper, conference, master thesis about « aerosol particles coagulation under the influence of forces fields »


Life in campus

• A really nice place to live• Small city of 50 000 residents• Many sports available


Life in campus

• Possibility to get involved in many various activities !

• 庆祝长征 70 周年合唱队


• Beijing, a great place for both culture and leisure

Travel in ChinaDuring week-ends


Travel in China

• A fantastic country !

During holidays


Summary

Master degree contents

Travel in China

Life in campus


Summary

Obtain a nationally and internationally

recognized degree

Master degree contents

Life in campus

Travel in China

Create a network between French

and Chinese elites

Learn to speak Chinese, language

of the future

Get a completely international background

Meet a challenge of adventure in a very different country

Acquire a good comprehension of

Chinese culture, way of thinking and acting


Perspectives 未来的发展

• As for the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, China educational exchanges with France are clearly a step further than with osther western countries

• 中法关系最密切”法国当初是第一个和新中国建交的西方国家，这使得中法教育合作关系比别的国家更为密切。

• French students trust Chinese Universities, are very motivated to study in China and learn about its culture. This present situation could be made even better by involving more French and Chinese companies

• 法国学生很看好中国的教育，很愿意来华读书。如果中法企业参与赞助培养会更加促进和扩大留学交流机会。


Link to enterprises

• Scholarship from Areva - 阿海珐的奖学金– No stress of looking for a job → better involvement in

studies– Keep a link with « real life »– Direct promotion of my Chinese diploma– Possibility to make internships

• I wish I would have had time for an internship in China, in a Chinese company - 唯一的遗憾是没有时间在中国企业实习

• My present job : nuclear reactor core design engineer for Chinese EPR (Taishan, Guangdong) - 我现在的工作：法国核电公司阿海珐工程师（设计项目：广东省台山第三代核电项目反应堆堆心）


Conclusion 结语

• The training of bi-cultural elite is extremely important for the future, on both economical and political point of view

• 培养双文化人才对未来的经济和政治发展非常重要


Conclusion 结语

• Reach a better mutual comprehension between future leaders and contribute to the creation of a bi-national transmigrant elite network should be a priority of both sides governments

• 加深两国未来建设者相互的了解，创立两国人才流动网络，应该得到双方政府的重视。


Back in France

• Actively involved in different Sino-French organizations :– ParisTech Sino-French Association (Vice-president)

巴黎高科中法友好协会副主席– Tsinghua University Alumni in France– 清华大学法国校友会理事会会员

• Unexpected reward... 意外的收获 ...


谢谢大家！Thank you for your attention

Merci !

Education

Sino European Forum Pt 2009.11.16