ÉCOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENTA QUICK GUIDEFOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS2010-2011CONTENTSPage 2 ------------------------------------------IntroductionPage 3 ------------------------------------------What is the ENS?Page 4 ------------------------------------------Before you arrivePage 5 ------------------------------------------What to bring with you?Page 6 ------------------------------------------InsurancePage 7-------------------------------------------EquipmentPage 8 ------------------------------------------Arrival at the students' residencePage 9 ------------------------------------------Access from the different airportsPage 11 ----------------------------------------The ENS in the centre of ParisPages 12-13------------------------------------Reception at the schoolPages 14-15 -----------------------------------FacilitiesPages 15-16 -----------------------------------Meals, Accommodation, MailPage 17 ---------------------------------------Banks, Telephone, TransportPage 18 ---------------------------------------Animation at ENS and elsewherePages 19-20 ----------------------------------Organization of the academic year at ENS Page 21 ---------------------------------------University holidaysPages 22-23 ---------------------------------The university system in FrancePages 24-25-26 ---------------------------Lesson and research venues outside the ENSWelcome to the École normale supérieure…We are very pleased to welcome you during your stay in Paris, and we hope that the information contained in this short guide will help make it a profitable and enjoyable one.The academic year for international residents at the ENS begins on Wednesday 8 September 2010. Registration will take place on Wednesday 8 September at the following times:- 9:00 – 12:00: for students living at Ulm- 13:00 – 17:00: for students living at Jourdan and Montrouge and for non-resident studentsNB: It is possible to arrive from Wednesday 1 September (for the Jourdan and Montrouge campuses) and from 3 September (for Ulm) provided that you inform us of your arrival by email at the following address: hebergement@ens.fr and to corinne.zylbersztain@ens.fr. Your room key will be left at the reception office of your students' residence.WHAT IS THE ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE?The current ENS is the result of the merger in 1985 between the École normale supérieure (rued’Ulm) and the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles (48, boulevard Jourdan and 1, rue Maurice Arnoux in Montrouge), also known as ENS de Sèvres (its original site). The three current campuses (Ulm, Jourdan and Montrouge) receive both French pupils and international students. The School management is located at 45, rue d’Ulm. Classes take place both at Rue d’Ulm and Boulevard Jourdan.ENS trains top-level teachers and researchers in Humanities and Sciences. Recruitment is by competitive examination. The majority of pupils enter the school after two or three years of ClassesPréparatoires aux Grandes Écoles (CPGE); a small number, however, come to the School after obtaining a university degree and taking a special entrance exam. Successful candidates take a commitment to serve the State, become trainee civil servants attached to the Education Ministry and as such receive a salary when they enter the School. During their four years here, they follow a university degree course (generally in a Paris university) and take the same exams as all the other students. In addition they benefit from tutoring by ENS teachers – known as "caimans" – and from specific lessons (for example to prepare for the Agrégation exam).The pupils you will be meeting at the School are all open-minded people who will take an interest in you and your work. Don't hesitate to approach them, ask them for advice, and make that little extra effort required to become fully integrated in the School: it will make your stay here that much more enjoyable and rewarding. The cultural, social and artistic activities available at ENS are a very good way of improving your French.BEFORE YOU ARRIVERESIDENCE PERMIT: The registration process for obtaining your residence permit are now much easier: application forms are filled in at a meeting organized in the School by the Registrar's office.- Since the beginning of the 2003 academic year, all students who receive their first residence permit must pay a fee of €55. This fee must be paid on the day on which the permit is granted to the students: approximately a month and a half after the start of the academic year.- For renewals, you will have to pay a fee of €30.- A medical examination is necessary to obtain the residence permit.VISA: Nationals of countries in the European Union and the Swiss Confederation do not need a visa. In application of the law of 26 November 2003, they no longer need a residence permit.Students from other countries must request a type D long-term student's visa (CESEDA R311-3 6°) from the French Consulate in their country of origin or residence. The Consulate will give you a VLSTS (long stay visa which acts as residence permit), and an application form for an attestation from the OFII (French Office of Immigration and Integration) which you must take to the Registrar's office when you register. (Take the letter sent by the Head of International Relations at ENS to your Consulate).LANGUAGE ASSISTANTS: If you intend to ask for a position of language assistant in a secondary school (which is sometimes the case in exchanges with English or American universities), you should contact the French Embassy in your country and ask for a language assistant visa which you must take to the Registrar's Office on your arrival. They will take care of the application procedures.We remind you that your first salary will not be paid until three months after you take up your position.WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU?•PAPERS AND DOCUMENTSPlease bring the following documents which must be handed in to the Registrar's Office:- Passport- Birth certificate: this must be translated into French and be certified exact by an official body (the parents' full names must be included).- Long-stay visa: the visa stamped on your passport must be a type D long-stay student's visa or a language assistant's visa (only for language assistants in schools or universities). On your arrival in France, ENS will take charge of obtaining your residence permit. This permit is compulsory except for nationals of European Union countries or Switzerland.IMPORTANT- Documents from the French Consulate- Grant certificate or family or personal means- Recent identity photos that are an exact likeness: bring at least 4 (taken from the front, head uncovered, format 3.5 x 4.5 cm).- Letter(s) of recommendation from your universityONLY for registration for the ENS Diploma and/or in a University, you must provide:- the originals of diplomas (from secondary schools and universities)- photocopies certified exact by a qualified body- the translation into French, done or approved by an official body.- the corresponding grade sheets.INSURANCE(Very important!)1) Medical insurance:- Indispensable EXCEPT for students who receive French state grants.- You must take out insurance in your country (university or family insurance), BEFORE you leave.- Make sure you know the terms of cover and reimbursement, especially if there is an agreement between France and your country. Remember to bring the certificate translated into French. NB: If you cannot take out insurance in your country, it is sometimes possible to register with theFrench Social Security system as long as you register for a Degree course in a Parisian university (Age requirement: under 28).2) Third party insurance:- It is COMPULSORY to take out insurance covering risks of accident (and fire, etc…). You must do this on the day of registration at ENS.- You will be offered a contract with the MAIF. For this you must meet the MAIF representative, who is available at the Registrar's Office from 9:00 to 17:00, on the first day of the semester.NB: The cost of the premium is very advantageous:- €73.34 for students under 26- €144.12 for those over 26•EQUIPMENTRooms are furnished and the various campuses have a certain amount of equipment to meet most needs (See p. 12 "Equipment at ENS"). If you intend to bring electrical or electronic appliances (razor, hair dryer, radio, etc.), you should know that domestic electrical current in France is 50 Hertz and 220 volts. Make sure you have the correct adapters (sockets).In principle, you should have no difficulty bringing personal belongings into France. However, to avoid problems, especially if you bring valuable equipment (photography, video, computers, etc.), bring the original invoices which you can if necessary present to the customs authorities with your passport and your certificate of acceptance to the School.If you have to send heavy objects (books for example), be sure to arrange for them not to arrive at the School before 1 September: deliveries cannot be taken during the school holidays.Please note that no parcels can be stored: you must therefore be present on the campus when your parcels are delivered.YOUR ARRIVAL AT THE STUDENTS' RESIDENCEInform the person in charge of welcoming you in advance of the date and approximate time of your arrival by writing to any of the following addresses:1) this email address:hebergement@ens.fr2) depending on the students' residence you will be staying in:- J OURDAN:.......……………………Tel. 01 43 13 61 56- U LM: .......………………………...Tel. 01 44 32 32 42Fax 01 44 32 30 10- M ONTROUGE: ……………………Tel. 01 58 07 65 10Fax 01 58 07 50 80Finally, if necessary, you can also contact the Head of Logistics for the three campuses mentioned: Mme Isabelle PORTE ………………Tel. 01 43 13 61 00Office hours:9:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00Monday to Friday inclusiveOutside the office hours indicated, you will find your room key at the reception office 45 rue d’Ulm, 48 boulevard Jourdan or 1 rue Maurice Arnoux in Montrouge, provided you have informed the person responsible for your welcome in advance of your approximate time of arrival.Before you arrive, feel free to write to the following email address, to ask any questions you might have about your accommodation, restaurant opening dates, etc.: hebergement@ens.frAccess from the airportsFrom ROISSY, take the RER line B and get off:- for 45, rue d’Ulm: at Luxembourg- for 48, boulevard Jourdan: at Cité universitaire- for 1, rue Maurice Arnoux in Montrouge: the easiest way is to go to 48, boulevard Jourdan. You can leave your luggage at the concierge's office where the School will transport it to the Montrouge residence. At Porte d’Orléans, take the 194 or 195 bus and get off at Dépinoy bus stop.From ORLY, take the ORLYBUS and:- for 45, rue d’Ulm: get off at Denfert-Rochereau (terminus), then take the RER B up to Luxembourg or the no. 38 but to the Auguste Comte bus stop.- for 48, boulevard Jourdan: get off at Tombe Issoire (opposite no. 48)- for Montrouge: get off at 48 boulevard Jourdan (Tombe Issoire bus stop), then follow the route indicated for students arriving from ROISSY (See above).If you are already in PARIS, the different campuses are accessible via the following public transport means:45, rue d’Ulm:38 Bus .................................... Auguste Comte bus stop21 and 27 Buses .................................... Feuillantines bus stop89 and 84 Buses............................ …… Panthéon Mairie du 5e bus stopRER B .................................... Luxembourg48, boulevard Jourdan:Tramway T3 .................................... Cité Universitaire Stop28, 38 and 68 Buses .................................... Porte d’Orléans bus stopMetro ……………………….. Porte d’OrléansRER B ................................. ... Cité UniversitaireMontrouge - 1, rue Maurice Arnoux:194 or 195 Bus ……………………….. Dépinoy bus stop(The bus leaves from the Porte d’Orléans).The School halls of residence are closed during the summer holidays. Reception is not possible until Wednesday 1 September from 9am onwards.The international student grant, which covers your accommodation fees (€250 a month) stops on June 30, 2011. If you wish to remain at the School until the end of July, you will have to pay rent for your room (€250).Only pupils and international students may live in the halls of residence. Any incident or accident caused by or to a person not living in the halls is therefore likely to incur the liability of the resident who invited the unauthorized person.1) Remise de la your room keyNo matter what time you arrive, go to the reception desk at the hall of residence (Ulm, or Jourdan, or Montrouge), where you will be given your key and all sorts of practical information.2) Reception for administrative mattersGo to the Registrar's Office, 45 rue d’Ulm, on Wednesday 8 September, to settle a few administrative matters and receive various documents:- the School "satchel" containing all the useful information about classes and life at the School.- the ENS International resident student card- preparation of the application forms for the residence permit- subscription to a Third Party insurance policy with the MAIF (present on the day of registration) - Issue of an accommodation certificate (required when opening a bank account for example)- Registration with ENS electronic mail:COMPULSORY (Please consult it regularly throughout the year:)- Opening a bank account in France3) Reception for classesYou will meet the Professor in charge of relations with international students in each of the 15 Departments at the School: he or she will guide you and help you finalize your program for the year and allocate you a tutor. The teachers at the School will provide guidance during your stay, give you the names of the best specialists working in your field, and advise you about access to libraries and archives.4) Information weeks:At the beginning of each academic year, the School organizes two information weeks for pupils from the 1st to the 4th year. Don't miss these, as you will learn a lot about classes and life at the School. There will be lectures as well as compulsory tours of the Departments, Laboratories and Libraries. 5) Induction weekend: "le Mega"Towards the end of September pupils organize a three-day tourist excursion to a region in France to encourage all the newcomers to the School to get to know each other.6) Reminder of the advantages given to Residents and international students at ENS:Free access to all ENS lessons and seminarsAcademic guidance (tutoring)Access to the Humanities Library and the Departmental LibrariesAccess to the computer facilities (rooms equipped with cable, email address, computer room)Access to cultural, artistic and sports activitiesOnly for International resident students at the ENS: Attribution of a foreign student grant covering the rent: €250 per month.Access to the students' restaurant (meals cost €3.80)ENS EQUIPMENTThe rooms are furnished (but do not have individual refrigerators). Bed linen and towels are not provided. A blanket is available on request from the Logistics Service.All the bedrooms have cable (Internet access and e-mail): ask the student representatives or the computer department: .If on your arrival you notice anything wrong with your room, please inform the reception service immediately or send an email to:hebergement@ens.fr orEQUIPMENT AVAILABLE ON THE DIFFERENT CAMPUSESAT ULMWashing machines and dryersKitchens with refrigerators, hot plates and mini-oven (plates and kitchen utensils – saucepans, etc. – are not provided)CafeteriaLibraries (Arts Library and Departmental Libraries)Computer room (PC, Apple Macintosh and UNIX stations)Bédéthèque (loan of comic books): see the COFGymnasiumTelevision room, cine-club: see the COFPhoto lab: see the COFAT JOURDANWashing machines and dryersKitchens with refrigerators, hot plates and mini-oven (plates and kitchen utensils – saucepans, etc. – are not provided)Cafeteria (and newspapers)Literature library (Humanities and Social Sciences)Computer room with PC, Apple Macintosh and UNIX stationsSports facilities at the Cité universitaireTelevision room: see the COFPianos.AT MONTROUGEWashing machines and dryersFully equipped kitchens on each floor, where you can make breakfast and simple mealsScience libraryTennis courtMEALSThe School has student restaurants at Jourdan and Ulm. They are wonderful places for meeting other students.An access badge to the restaurants of the different campuses (Ulm and Jourdan) will be given to you on your arrival, in the Registrar's Office. It works like a credit card (there is a payment terminal at the entrance to the restaurants), and you can use it to pay for all the different meals (€2.00 € for breakfast and €3.80 per meal).At the Ulm campus, breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:30, lunch from 12:00 to 14:00 on Mondays to Fridays and dinner 19:00 to 20:00 Mondays to Fridays.Note that it is also possible to go to the restaurant throughout the day, as it provides non-stop snacks or cafeteria meals in addition to lunch and dinner.On the Jourdan campus, breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:00 and lunch from 12:30 to 13:30. There is no evening meal.No meals are served on the Montrouge campus.ACCOMMODATIONIf you choose to be a resident, you will be accommodated in one of our three student residences: Ulm, Jourdan or Montrouge.If you stay at Jourdan or Montrouge, rooms are available at Ulm for you to work in during the day. If you are a non-resident, you can also ask for access to one of these rooms. In both cases, you must register with the COF (Students' Association) in September. Make sure you do!MAILAll international students have a mailbox at Ulm, no matter which residence they are in, even if they are non-resident. It is here that you will receive all the internal correspondence from the School.Remember to check your mailbox regularly.EMAILIt is compulsory to register for an ENS email address even if you have your own personal email address (generally that of your university at home).You will be given an address of this type: stname@ens.fr on the first day of term.It is important to consult it regularly as at ENS we send individual or group messages frequently.USEFUL INFORMATIONBANKSYou will very probably have to open a bank account in France. Most banks have a network of branches in Paris and in the provinces. You can open a non-resident's account without any particular formalities. If the bank in your country has a branch in Paris, opening an account and transferring money will no doubt be quicker than in another bank. (The School has an agreement with the Société Générale which makes it easy to open an account. This branch, just near the ENS, is at 38 rue Gay-Lussac, tel: 01 56 81 04 80, and will be presented on the fist day of the semester). Finally, international bankcards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard, etc.) may be useful in that they enable you to withdraw cash easily.TELEPHONEYou can ask for a mobile phone. There are several operators available. In town, as on each of the School campuses, you will find public pay phones. These usually take a phone card that you can buy in any post office or tobacconist. We strongly recommend that you buy one of these cards. TRANSPORTIf you are under 26, you can get several reductions (Carte jeune, billets BIGE, Inter-Rail Card). Ask at the SNCF or Air France about how to obtain reduced-price tickets.If you intend to travel widely in France or in Europe, ask for information at an agency in your country specializing in conditions for using the Euro-pass.For transport in Paris, 2 season ticket systems are available:- for those under 26: Carte Imagine R (approximately €292 a year): this will let you travel freely on the RATP networks (metro and bus) and the Paris section of the RER network (RATP and SNCF).- for those over 26: Carte Navigo (approximately €556 a year, paid in monthly installments from your bank account): this will let you travel freely on the RATP networks (metro and bus) and the Paris section of the RER network (RATP and SNCF).You can also buy tickets singly (about €1.60) or in booklets of 10 (about 12 €). The metro runs from 5am until 1:15am (and now until 2:15am every Saturday).NB: These prices are likely to change after January 7th 2010In general the RER runs until 12:30 or 1:00am.Many buses however cease to run after 20:30 although certain lines run in the evenings and at night, others on Sundays. Just enquire!EVENTS AT THE SCHOOL…Events at the School are organized by the Students' Association, or "COF" (Comité d’Organization des Fêtes), of which you are automatically a member as International residential student. The committee takes care of the cafeterias, television rooms, etc. The Students' Association organizes parties and subsidizes several sports and cultural activities.You will find information on the notice boards, or you can read the Bocal (the students' magazine) and attend the beginning of term Drinks party (Pot) which takes place at Ulm at the beginning of the academic year. Feel free to ask the Physical Education teachers and pupils of the COF for information. Or you can visit their website: www.cof.ens.fr…AND ELSEWHEREIn addition to the activities you can enjoy at the School, the CROUS (RER B, Port Royal station) offers theater and concert tickets at worthwhile rates and also organizes outings in Paris and elsewhere in France (weekends and holiday periods), at reasonable prices, especially for students who receive a grant from the French government (ask at the Registrar's Office). Invitations to shows and plays are sometimes sent to Normaliens and you too can benefit from these. And don't forget the invitations found in the weekly Paris guides.MUSEUMSThe School's student card gives access at reduced rates (but not free) to the National Museums (Louvre, Orsay, Cluny, Versailles, Rodin, Picasso, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou). In principle, this is reserved for French pupils because of their link with the Education Ministry, but these museums rarely refuse the same entry conditions to international students at the School. Feel free to ask if you are entitled to a reduction as a teacher or student. LIBRARIESIn addition to the School libraries and the Bibliothèque nationale de France / BNF (reduced rates for students under 27), a large number of libraries are available to you:- Public information library at the Centre Pompidou (BPI)- The media library at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie de la Villette- Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris- Bibliothèque Forney- Bibliothèque Mazarine- Vidéothèque des Halles.Sound recordings can be found in the School libraries and in the various libraries and record libraries in Paris. Bring a photo, an ID card and a proof of residence for the City of Paris. And don't forget the Embassy Libraries or foreign country cultural centers, such as the American Library or the British Council Library.ORGANIZATION OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR AT ENSThe academic year is organized annually but also in semesters in compliance with the European LMD system (Bachelor's – Master's – PhD).The beginning of term, for all first year pupils and for all international students (even non-resident students), is in September: 8 September 2010 for international residential students. This date is compulsory (unless there is a serious reason to prevent you, in which case you must provide proof). From mid September 2010, you will take part in the induction week organized by the School for all new students. This will allow you to:- get to know the location (a tour of the different campuses, the laboratories and the libraries)- discover how the School works (presentation of the ENS, description of the various courses, meeting with the Management and the various administrative heads, presentation of International Relations and university exchange programs, presentation of the Students' Association, the Sports Association and the Association of Friends and Alumni)- meet all the professors and researchers (presentation of the Departments, the research teams and the Laboratories)- meet your tutor (the teacher who will be supervising your work during the year and guiding you in your research, at the School and outside the School if necessary)- speak with the students who organize their own seminars, with the help of the Management (seminars organized by international students are welcome)- attend the beginning of term lectures by eminent specialists in each field- meet all your fellow students, when you arrive, with whom you will be spending the 2010-2011 academic year at ENS.At the end of September 2010, you can take part in MEGA, the traditional induction weekend for new students,which takes place each year in a town in France (visits, shows, food and wine tastings). This will help you to get to know your fellow ENS students, or "Normaliens".This induction period is also an opportunity, if you wish, to register in other Paris institutions (universities, research centers, libraries) and make contact with teachers and researchers from other institutions.Most lessons and seminars (in the School and outside) will begin around mid October. The School's libraries will be open when you arrive in September.UNIVERSITY HOLIDAYSCHRISTMAS:2 weeks (18 December 2010 – 2 January 2011 inclusive).WINTER:1 week in February 2011 (dates depend on the Universities: 7 days between 12 and 27 Feb) SUMMER HOLIDAYS:Dates vary according to the universities, end June or beginning JulyIf you wish to remain at the School during July 2011 for your research, remember to pick up the correct form from the Accommodation Office and fill it out in May 2011.As International Student Grants are paid up until the end of June, rent must be paid for the room (€250 a month). Payment must be made at the Accommodation Office.SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FRENCH UNIVERSITY SYSTEMAfter passing their Baccalauréat, French students can either go to University, or prepare the entrance exams to get into the Grandes Écoles ("classes préparatoires"). The École normale supérieure is a Grande École which you enter after passing a very selective entrance exam, in the Humanities or Sciences. You spend 4 years at ENS, sometimes with the addition of one or two years away (for example for a stay in a foreign country as part of our exchange programs). The average age of Normaliens is therefore between 19 and 25.At the end of your stay, you can receive the title of Former International Residential Student of the École normale supérieure. To do this, you must have been sufficiently involved in the intellectual life of the School, and have written an activity report for the Head of the School. We will then deliver an official certificate.After a discussion with your tutor, you will attend the classes and seminars offered by the School, and which best suit your study and research program in France. It is common courtesy to go and see the teacher giving the lessons at the beginning of the semester.If you wish to follow lessons outside the ENS, you have two possibilities:If you wish to obtain a university degree: (Bachelor's Degree, 1st or 2nd year Master's, PhD): you must register on your arrival in the university of your choice. Make sure you obtain the equivalent rating of your foreign diplomas before registering for a French diploma course. You will take the exams at the university where you are registered.If you do not need a university degree: you can also follow lessons and seminars available outside the School by universities or research institutions (Collège de France, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales / EHESS, etc.). All you need to do is ask permission at the beginning of the semester from the teacher giving the classes.。
