A multicultural environment
In a global society, speaking several languages is just a beginning. Cultures and operational and organizational systems vary greatly from country to country, and these differences can quickly complicate interactions. For almost 10 years now, ENSTA Bretagne has offered courses in intercultural management.
1/ Language learning
At ENSTA Bretagne, students learn 2 compulsory foreign languages, with the option of adding a 3rd through night classes. English, the international language of business, is compulsory for all students. Starting in 1st year, students prepare to achieve a certification level that will allow them to work in an English-speaking professional environment upon graduation.
In language classes (including French as a Foreign Language), students study and compare cultures while overcoming stereotypes.
"For several years now, language teachers have been integrating an intercultural aspect into their teaching. For example, in French as a Foreign Language classes, we invite students to compare the traditions, customs, organization and so on. of their country with those they have encountered in France" explains Catherine Adam, ENSTA Bretagne research professor.
2/ Intercultural communication and management
Students can opt to take the Intercultural Management module. Classes in this module are compulsory for non-francophone students and cover the French education system, engineering careers in France, communication in French culture, and more. They aim to equip students early on for careers in France, for example by assisting them in preparing assignments such as reports and oral examinations.
"Our goal is to develop the intercultural skills that engineers need to work in multicultural environments. If someone has a professional meeting with a Japanese company and has failed to take cultural aspects into account when preparing for it, they risk having several negative interactions within the first 10 seconds," explains Christophe Morace, who manages these classes.
Businesses and certification organizations (Conférence des Grandes Écoles, Commission des Titres d'Ingénieurs) also understand what's at stake in terms of interculturality.
"There are high expectations in this area. The subject is complex and fundamental. Sometimes people say that you have to experience this kind of professional situation first-hand to understand multicultural issues. However, we believe it's important to prepare students during their education to give them the keys to their success and that of their employers."
ENSTA Bretagne Human and Social Sciences Department research professor Christophe Morace has been studying this subject since 2009. He was employed in Germany’s industrial sector for almost ten years.
Teaching innovation: training innovative engineers
ENSTA Bretagne was one step ahead of the new CTI (Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur) directives on implementing an innovation-friendly educative environment.
Regularly highlighted in evaluations (CTI, ISO, etc.) as one of the school’s strengths, human and social sciences have an important place in ENSTA Bretagne engineering programs, with subjects ranging from the practical (management, marketing, etc.) to the more reflective (sociology, philosophy, etc.). Cultural and artistic workshops on themes such as fine arts and theater also contribute to developing student creativity.
Regularly highlighted in evaluations (CTI, ISO, etc.) as one of the school’s strengths, human and social sciences have an important place in ENSTA Bretagne engineering programs, with subjects ranging from the practical (management, marketing, etc.) to the more reflective (sociology, philosophy, etc.). Cultural and artistic workshops on themes such as fine arts and theater also contribute to developing student creativity.
At ENSTA Bretagne, training is linked directly to research (the majority of teaching staff are researchers whose work feeds into their course content) and to business through internships, industry projects, conferences, etc.
Our programs place particular emphasis on developing an international outlook (language learning, international internships and exchanges), and our teaching methods integrate digital tools such as Moodle and ePortfolio.
ENSTA Bretagne teachers continually examine and develop their practices, for example through the annual symposium on Teaching Methods in Higher Education (QPES) and involvement in the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), as well as days dedicated to discussing teaching methods.
Research projects directly linked to innovation and sustainable development
From 2015 to 2017, ENSTA Bretagne’s Human and Social Sciences Department team led the Innoving 2020 research project. The requirements of European and French industrial renewal, new social expectations and evolutions in engineering have led to the need for more innovators. Innoving 2020 sought to improve teaching methods in order to train engineers able both to innovate and to implement their innovations in society.
Since September 2018, the team has been piloting A-STEP 2030, a European research project seeking to integrate sustainable development concepts into engineering education.
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Soft skills: the contribution of human and social sciences
ENSTA Bretagne engineers are active members of a changing society and are able to reconcile technical innovation with social and economic requirements, ethical responsibilities and team management.
Engineers, businesses and society
Human and social science classes develop the skills necessary for project management, workplace integration: economics, entrepreneurship, marketing, financial planning, communication, running meetings, decision-making, etc.
Self-knowledge and organizational psychosociology concepts are combined in these classes, which aim to assist students in defining a career path aligned with their personal goals and with societal needs and environmental constraints (economic climate, jobs market and ecological issues).
Through complementary disciplines such as history, philosophy and geopolitics, students are invited to examine the role of engineers in modern society and the challenges they may face in their engineering careers.
2 compulsory modern languages and an optional 3rd
The program emphasizes learning modern languages, which are indispensable tools both for work and for a wider understanding of the world.
- 1st compulsory language: English. Students work towards achieving at minimum a B2 level in order to work in an English-speaking professional environment.
- 2nd compulsory language: German, Spanish, Chinese or Portuguese (or French as a Foreign Language for international students).
- Optional 3rd language: the school adapts to beginners wishing to learn the above-mentioned languages or others such as Japanese or Russian.
Training for the global workplace
Our intercultural approach goes beyond language mastery: through role-play, future engineers learn techniques for job interviews in other cultural environments and for cooperation in and management of multicultural teams.
Sports, leadership, and cultural awareness activities
Stimulating curiosity and thinking through cultural awareness workshops
At ENSTA Bretagne, students benefit from an exceptionally wide range of personal development and cultural awareness workshops on subjects such as civilization (Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic), stress management, and the visual and performing arts. These 3rd-year workshops pave the way for learning to innovate.
Sports: performance and personal development
Physical and sports activities are a key element of engineering training at ENSTA Bretagne. Physical education is a compulsory subject, and students can practice both individual and team sports. Sports contribute to self-knowledge, to understanding various roles (partner, opponent, referee, manager), to managing the difficulties of competitive situations, and more.
Developing leadership skills
Leadership classes are lessons in living. A few kilometers from campus, in an ideal setting for this unique experience, teams of students tackle timed technical challenges, such as building a structure. Each student is evaluated in terms of their ability to take on a leadership role, and students are led in a structured brainstorming session on the qualities and attitudes expected of project and team managers.
Serious games
Groups of 2nd-year students can choose between two serious games on the themes of business development (3 days to turn around a struggling business) or business creation (exploring all the stages of startup creation, from idea to market study to business plan).
Preparing for the multicultural workplace
Workplace culture and operational and organizational systems vary greatly from country to country, and these differences can quickly complicate interactions. For almost 10 years now, ENSTA Bretagne has offered intercultural management classes that help students evolve professionally in multicultural and international environments.
Internships: a bridge to careers
All ENSTA Bretagne students complete three internships, allowing them to accumulate over 9 months of professional experience before graduation.
1st year: Business discovery internship
(minimum 4 weeks)
Goals:
- learn about a company or professional organization while working in production (practical internship);
- observe professional environments and understand how they function;
- judge your implication in the work and develop your career plan.
2nd year: Engineering assistant technical internship
(minimum 12 weeks or 16 weeks for internships abroad)
Goals:
- gain a practical understanding of the engineer's role in the company while testing your scientific, technical and organizational skills.
This internship should contribute to confirming your chosen career path. Interns’ task within the company consists of working on a technical project and applying theoretical knowledge, especially in business management and human sciences.
3rd year: Final-year project
(minimum 21 weeks)
Goals:
- demonstrate your ability to implement your knowledge and skills in a real-life industrial environment;
- demonstrate your aptitude to manage a project while meeting time, budget and quality targets.
Students write a thesis which they defend before a jury of teachers and scientific and industrial professionals.
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A multidisciplinary core curriculum
The substantial and well-balanced core curriculum covers the major technological fields: mathematics, computer science, electronics, mechanics, etc. Human Sciences play a key role with courses ranging from the practical (management, marketing, etc.) to the more reflective (sociology, philosophy, etc.). The program also includes cultural and artistic workshops on themes such as fine arts and theater, which contribute to developing student creativity.
These core courses are concentrated at the beginning of the program (mainly in 1st year) and help students to acquire a solid base of general knowledge preparing them for project management, research, development, and designing and implementing complex systems in diverse environments.
ENSTA Bretagne engineers are able to reconcile technical innovation with social and economic requirements, ethical responsibilities and team management. They are active members of an evolving society.
An original systems approach
Our original systems approach develops comprehensive analytical and research skills that are an ideal preparation for high-tech project design, which encompasses multiple disciplines ranging from mechanics to information and decision systems.
Innovation culture
ENSTA Bretagne engineers develop a culture of innovation through their classes and projects, as well as numerous conferences and opportunities for discussion with professionals and researchers.
Since January 2015, the school’s Human and Social Sciences Department has coordinated international research projects focused on training engineers in innovation, taking a comparative international perspective.
Language learning and international awareness
A global perspective is at the heart of ENSTA Bretagne's programs, which feature language learning and numerous possibilities for international internships and exchanges. Students learn 2 modern languages, with the option of adding a 3rd through night classes. English is the primary compulsory language. Students develop their knowledge and use of English, and aim for a C1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which will allow them to work in an English-speaking professional environment. Our intercultural approach goes beyond language mastery: through role-play, future engineers learn techniques for job interviews in other cultural environments and for cooperation in and management of multicultural teams.
