International Education in French Engineering Schools Reporter on the CEFI Survey

Abstract

One needs to consider the reality of Europe. Americans tend to think of Europe as a whole when considering it as a destination for a trip. But when they come, they observe that Europe remains a set of nations separated by linguistic and cultural barriers, and they feel a bit confused about the reality of a move toward an actual community. Some comments may enlighten this point. The present "pan-European" project was first carried out by a small group of people—indeed technocrats— who thought something had to be done to prevent a new conflict on the continent. The choice was made to first address economic issues through new forms of cooperation and eventually through setting up a free-trade area. At this stage (forty years later!), the European project is associated with a real political ambition. There is a consensus in Old European nations to go forward, although an obvious fear of this common future remains. For most educated citizens, and especially for young graduates, Europe appears more and more as a "new Frontier," as an outlook for new opportunities. In this context, mobility of students throughout Europe becomes a necessary step toward building a better future.