Question 26701 — higher education

Summary

Mr. Hervé Pellois draws the attention of the Minister of the Armed Forces to the project to establish, in a new building constructed on the campus of the École Polytechnique de Saclay, the research and development department of the Total group. This decision was taken by the school's board of directors on June 21, 2018, at the same time as a chair financed to the tune of 3.8 million euros by Total was negotiated. Such proximity to a private company asks questions. Total will benefit from privileged access to students from a school which aims to train engineers in the service of the general interest. While students will have their role to play in French energy policy as engineers, advisors or decision-makers, the direct and assumed influence of Total may be worrying. Furthermore, Total will have exclusive access to the school until another project sees the light of day. The impact of this exclusivity is all the greater as the company is already showing its desire to attract as many students as possible, making the building a living space, capable of serving as an incubator or hosting conferences. The decision-making process also raises several questions of transparency (last minute registration on the board agenda, very brief presentation, lack of consultation with students, teachers and researchers) and led some 200 students to sign a platform denouncing private interference in their training and at the heart of their living space in December 2019. A vote was also organized by the BDE garnering 70% participation: 61.1% of voters expressed themselves against the project in its current form. Also, he would like to know if the ministry is able to reassure students by providing them with guarantees as to the independence of the school.

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