The Minister of Education Higher Valerie Pécresse, presented by the Cabinet, Wednesday, Feb. 6, the specifications and schedule of the "campus plan" that should bring out ten poles of excellence able to attract to France the best researchers and students. An idea dear to Nicolas Sarkozy, standing in the mission statement of Ms. Pécresse. On 29 November 2007, the President had stated that the proceeds from the sale of 3% of EDF's capital, then valued at 5 billion, would fund the program.
The projects submitted by universities will be selected by a committee composed eight figures from the world of university research and enterprise. Anne-Marie Idrac, president of SNCF, and Gilles Pelisson, Accor's CEO, will be part of the jury.
Records will be judged on four criteria: "The educational and scientific ambition," "the urgency of the situation of real estate", "development of a campus life" and "consistency of the project vis-à-vis the territory concerned. " They must follow a precise specification and focus on operations of public-private investment and property management.
LIST UNVEILED SPRING
According to the minister's entourage, several universities could be combined into one project. The first list of selected campuses will be unveiled in the spring. A second call for projects will be launched in the fall. The operational start of the selected campuses in early 2009.
The announcement of this program is received quite favorably by the Conference of University Presidents (CPU). "We are not opposed to the targeting of resources on a few university centers of global or European level, said Michel Lussault, president of the University of Tours, and spokesperson for the CPU, but should not that effort to the detriment of smaller projects but also indispensable. "
In terms of student organizations, the fear of a two-tier higher education is more prevalent." The campus plan should not be a means of establishing a competitive system, "warns the UNEF. A warning that occurs after the publication of the Attali report, whose proposals were considered too liberal by the student unions have aroused fears of a system to American, with one side of research universities and other "community colleges, which accept students "Premises" and offer short courses.
Article the daily "Le Monde" of February 6.
On the website of the Ministry of Research can also read this:
"Operation Campus aims to renovate and revitalize existing campuses through massive investment and targeted, to create true places to live, unite the major campuses of the future and increase their international visibility.
Small details:
There is a contribution of 5 million euros for this plan and a campus up 30% of the total allocation universities. However 42% of the total allocation goes to the 10 centers of excellence, the 74 others will share the remaining 58%. Universities are not identified as centers of excellence will therefore decrease the budget by 12%. The University Paul Valery we have suffered a decline of 38% last year (some departments such as Linguistics took up to 55% budget reduction).
The campus plan will definitely widen the gap between highly rated ten universities where registration fees will soon exponential (Thanks to the LRU already cost some Masters several thousand euros) and other universities will not have the budget for renovations and operating costs.
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