Latest news with #ÉcolePolytechnique
Ya Biladi
7 days ago
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Twenty-four Moroccans to Join École Polytechnique's 2025 class in Paris
Twenty-four Moroccan students who passed the entrance exams for France's prestigious preparatory classes (CPGE) will join the 2025 class of the École Polytechnique in Paris this September, following their successful results in the competitive admissions process. «During the written exams for the 2025 Engineer Polytechnician Cycle at École Polytechnique (Paris), 56 Moroccan candidates were declared eligible. After the oral exams and the publication of final results, 24 Moroccan students from CPGE will join the X 2025 class this September», the school announced in a press release. «These figures confirm the outstanding performance of Moroccan students in École Polytechnique's entrance competition», the statement added. The 24 admitted students will benefit from an exceptional education in science and engineering, complemented by the human and military training that defines the institution's unique model. The press release also highlighted École Polytechnique's strong and long-standing ties with Morocco, particularly through academic and research partnerships with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), one of its key partners in the country. The school also recalled that both institutions have signed cooperation agreements enabling joint initiatives in research, entrepreneurship, and academic collaboration.
Morocco World
7 days ago
- Science
- Morocco World
24 Moroccan Students Secure Spots at France's Elite École Polytechnique in 2025
Marrakech – Twenty-four Moroccan students have been admitted to the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris for the upcoming academic year. These students, all from classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE), will join the X2025 promotion in September after successfully passing the rigorous entrance examinations. According to a statement from École Polytechnique, 56 Moroccan candidates initially qualified for the written phase of the competitive exam. The 24 successful candidates will now receive exceptional training in science and engineering, coupled with the institution's characteristic human and military education. 'These figures confirm the excellent results of Moroccan students in the École Polytechnique entrance examination,' the institution stressed in its press release. The 'polytechnicien' engineering program admission process consists of two main phases. The first involves written tests covering scientific subjects such as mathematics and physics, as well as literary examinations (French not mandatory and a modern language). Successful candidates then proceed to oral examinations that evaluate both their scientific knowledge and language skills. École Polytechnique has maintained long-standing close ties with Morocco, particularly through academic and research collaborations with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), one of its principal partners in the country. The two institutions have signed cooperation agreements enabling various joint projects in research, entrepreneurship, and academics. From Benguerir to Paris, Lydex students dominate admissions This achievement builds on Morocco's growing academic excellence in France. The Lycée d'Excellence de Benguérir (Lydex) secured fourth position among institutions preparing students for École Polytechnique, according to French magazine L'Etudiant's December 2024 ranking. It follows Paris's Henri-IV (third), while Louis-le-Grand and Sainte-Geneviève occupy the first and second positions respectively in the Mathematics-Physics (MP) stream. Between 2020 and 2024, approximately 7% of students admitted to École Polytechnique came from Lydex, which is 'generally reserved for the most brilliant students in the country.' Lydex had previously ranked second in the Mathematics-Physics (MP) stream in February of the same year. The Moroccan institution has demonstrated consistent success in recent years. In 2023, it set a record with 20 students gaining admission to Polytechnique, representing one-third of places allocated to international students. In 2022, Lydex had 24 students qualify for the entrance exams, including six female students – making it the only Moroccan institution to place women in the oral examination phase that year. Historical data shows Lydex's consistent performance: in 2019, 11 out of 15 Lydex candidates successfully passed Polytechnique's oral examinations, followed by 17 out of 21 in 2020, and 11 out of 25 in 2021. According to Campus France's 2024 report, Moroccan students constitute the largest foreign student community in France, with 45,162 students enrolled during the 2022-2023 academic year. Morocco leads in engineering school enrollments with 6,110 students, marking a 26% increase between 2017 and 2022. Established in 2015 in Benguerir's Mohammed VI Green City, Lydex operates with a strong social inclusion mission. Approximately 90% of students receive full scholarships, with additional financial support provided to disadvantaged students for supplementary expenses. The residential campus model includes sports activities to help students manage the intensive study program's demands. Read also: OCP Foundation 2024: Over 89,000 Lives Impacted Through Education, Inclusion, and Innovation The institution was created through a public-private partnership between the OCP Foundation and various educational sector stakeholders. It offers exceptional learning facilities, including laboratories for all disciplines, a theater, a semi-Olympic swimming pool, and sports fields meeting international standards. The OCP Foundation signed a partnership with the Ministry of National Education and UM6P in July 2023 to promote educational excellence through innovative initiatives. This collaboration focuses on encouraging innovation, fostering a culture of excellence, empowering educational stakeholders, and creating sustainable impact. The Lydex model has inspired similar initiatives, such as the Mediterranean Lyceum (Lymed) created by the Tanger Med Foundation. Located in Tetouan, Lymed opened for the 2021-2022 academic year with its first students enrolled in the MPSI (Mathematics, Physics, Engineering Sciences) program. The campus, situated in the Tetouan Shore area near Cabo Negro, spans 3 hectares with state-of-the-art facilities. In 2023, Lymed achieved remarkable results: all 48 students from its first class were admitted to French engineering schools, including four to École Polytechnique (with one being the highest-ranked Moroccan in the competition), 16 to Mines-Ponts schools, and 10 to Centrale schools in France. Tags: Ecole PolytechniqueMoroccan Students
LeMonde
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- LeMonde
François Provost to head French carmaker Renault
It was an orderly succession. The board of directors at Renault is set to announce on Wednesday, July 30, that it has chosen François Provost, the company's current director of purchasing and institutional relations, to succeed Luca de Meo, who has left to join luxury giant Kering. Among the final candidates, the 57-year-old graduate of the prestigious École Polytechnique and engineer from the Corps des Mines, a body of French higher civil servants, was the closest to the former CEO, who reportedly prepared him to take over. "François Provost was the cornerstone of implementing the 'Renaulution' plan, especially the creation of the two subsidiaries Ampere [focused on electric vehicles] and Horse [specializing in hybrid combustion engines]," a Renault spokesperson said. He was the one who negotiated partnerships with Chinese automaker Geely, co-shareholder with Renault in the subsidiary dedicated to combustion engines and a partner of the group in South Korea and Brazil. He also worked on bringing Saudi oil giant Aramco into the capital of this entity. Provost alsp played a vital role in unraveling the capital ties with Nissan, Renault's former partner.
Miami Herald
28-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Dental, medical device giant files for Chapter 11 bankrutpcy
What once felt like future tech (printing your own dentures or eyeglasses at home, or even a hospital printing a kidney for a patient who needed one) just triggered one of the most significant Chapter 11s in the industrial space. For decades, it seemed like 3D-printing would become a massive commercial and consumer technology. Amazon once filed parents for trucks that would have 3-D printers onboard so repair technicians could repair any needed part. Related: Giant healthcare company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy seeking sale Consumers, many thought, would use home versions of 3D printers for both practical and creative reasons. As the technology became more mainstream, prices would fall, and regular people would be printing everything from novelty coffee mugs to unregistered guns from their homes. Businesses would take the technology even father as it would offer a simple way to expand and diversify manufacturing capacity. That's not what happened and Thierry Rayna, Researcher at the i3 CNRS-CRG laboratory and Professor at École Polytechnique explained why. "The so-called "disruptive" technology that is 3D printing, now in its thirties, would seem to be coming back into fashion. Yet, despite its revolutionary technical properties and advantages, as well as very optimistic growth projections, the industrial and domestic uses of this technology seem to be progressing much more slowly than expected," wrote Thierry Rayna, Researcher at the CNRS-CRG laboratory and Professor at École Polytechnique. 3D-printing remains a viable idea, but it's one that has not truly caught on. Now, one of the largest manufacturers in the space has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. EnvisionTEC US LLC, a manufacturer of industrial 3D printing technologies, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas. The company, which operates as part of the Desktop Metal group and does business as ETEC and Desktop Health, specializes in industrial additive manufacturing solutions, producing 3D printers, materials, and software for various industries including dental, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. The company explained its business on its website. "ETEC offers a variety of 3D printing systems with the ability to mass produce polymer parts with the speed and quality needed for demanding end-use applications. ETEC printers deliver parts with exceptional accuracy, superior part properties, fine feature detail, and smooth surface finish at a scale and cost that is competitive with traditional manufacturing techniques like injection molding," it shared. The company has been a major player in the healthcare space. "Today's life sciences sector is characterized by feature-rich designs, shorter product life cycles, and increasingly challenging functional requirements. With part costs, build speeds, accuracy, surface finish and material properties rivaling injection molding, ETEC is disrupting traditional manufacturing of medical products," it posted. Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, the company reported assets and liabilities each in the range of $100-500 million. More Bankruptcy: Popular pizza dining chain franchisee files Chapter 11 bankruptcyMajor trucking operation files Chapter 11 bankruptcyLas Vegas casino owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The filing is part of a larger restructuring effort that includes 15 affiliated entities, including parent company Desktop Metal, Inc. and other subsidiaries like ExOne Americas LLC, Adaptive3D Technologies, LLC, and several dental technology businesses. ETEC/Desktop Metal reported having between 100-199 creditors. Andrew Hinkelman has been appointed as Chief Restructuring Officer to navigate the bankruptcy process. Filing: EnvisionTEC US LLC (part of Desktop Metal) filed Chapter 11 on July 28, $100M–$500M each; 100–199 creditorsRestructuring plan: Sale to Anzu Partners for certain subsidiariesSector insight: Growth in 3D printing has slowed significantly since 2023 Desktop Metal, Inc. and its U.S. affiliates, a manufacturing company specializing in production-volume technologies, materials, and applicationshas entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Anzu Partners to purchase the Company's ExOne GmbH, EnvisionTEC GmbH, ExOne KK, and AIDRO s.r.l. foreign subsidiaries in a sale, subject to court approval and customary closing conditions. To implement the sale and protect the business while it markets its remaining assets, Desktop Metal has filed for Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of Texas. Desktop Metals declined to share more about the filing in the short press release about the deal, saying only: "The company values its stakeholders - employees, customers, vendors, and other partners will be communicated with directly on next steps in the coming days." Desktop Metals is represented in this matter by Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP as legal counsel, FTI Consulting, Inc. as financial advisor, and Piper Sandler & Co as investment banker. Related: Mark Cuban says AI will end 1 essential job as we know it Anzu Partners is an investment firm that focuses on clean tech, industrial and life science technology companies with the potential to transform their industries. Anzu works with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital alongside deep expertise in business development, market positioning, global connectivity, and operations. As of 2024, Anzu Partners managed assets of approximately $1 billion with a team of over fifty professionals in offices across Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, Tampa, and Washington DC. 1. High cost of entry (for quality results) Affordable printers often produce low-quality or unreliable prints. High-end, professional 3D printers are still expensive ($2,000–$100,000+). Materials (filaments/resins) can also be costly and limited in variety. 2. Steep learning curve 3D printing requires knowledge of 3D modeling or CAD software. Troubleshooting mechanical or software issues can be complex. Even pre-made files often need tweaking for a successful print. 3. Slow production times Printing even small objects can take hours. Post-processing (cleaning, curing, sanding, etc.) adds more time. Not suitable for mass production or quick prototyping at consumer level. 4. Quality and reliability issues Printers can jam, misalign, or fail mid-print. Inconsistent print quality, especially with budget machines. Many prints require trial and error to get right. 5. Limited Use Cases for Average Consumers Most people don't need to print objects at home regularly. Practical everyday uses are limited (replacement parts, hobby items). Lack of clear "killer app" for non-hobbyists. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Alfred Dreyfus, unjustly convicted of treason, gets redemption after 130 years
Antisemitism is (unfortunately) nothing new, but making good on it after more than a century certainly is. People these days may not be familiar with the name Alfred Dreyfus, but the little-known artillery officer's conviction for treason in 1899 still divides French politics. In a surprise move, however, France is making amends for a notorious act of political extremism. In June 2025, French lawmakers unanimously backed a promotion for Alfred Dreyfus. His new rank is brigadier general. France24 called the legislation 'a symbolic step in the fight against antisemitism in modern France.' Late 19th-century relations between Germany and France were surprisingly warm, despite the absolute ass kicking the Germans delivered during the Franco-Prussian War. But that doesn't mean the two sides weren't spying on each other. The French were desperate to get any intelligence they could from the German embassy in Paris. After inserting one of their agents into the embassy housekeeping staff, they acquired a document addressed to the German military attaché, Maximilian von Schwartzkoppen. The paper contained only one piece of sensitive military information: a note about the hydraulic compressed air brakes on a French artillery piece. It prompted France's general staff to look for the source of the leak. War Minister Gen. Auguste Mercier, already criticized in the press for his incompetence, was seeking an easy target on which to pin the blame. Considering the content of the message, he began to scrutinize the artillery officers in the general staff. That's how he stumbled upon Capt. Alfred Dreyfus. There was nothing really extraordinary about Alfred Dreyfus. He was from a well-to-do family in Alsace, which emigrated to Switzerland and then Paris after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. His experience in the war led him to the elite École Polytechnique military academy. By 1882, he was a respected artillery officer. But he was just the easy target Mercier was looking for. As an Alsatian, he could be portrayed as a German sympathizer. Most importantly, he was Jewish in an antisemitic society looking for a scapegoat. The army claimed the handwriting on the artillery note belonged to Dreyfus (it did not). When he was called in to confess to Mercier, he refused and was arrested for conspiring with the enemy. After a secret, two-day trial, Dreyfus was convicted and his rank was cancelled. He was to be publicly degraded, which meant his medals, epaulettes, sword, and other symbols of his position would be ceremoniously ripped away from him. He was then shipped off to the Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana. The only problem was that Lt. Col. Georges Picquart, head of French intelligence services, learned who the real spy was: a counterintelligence officer named Maj. Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. The French press, which was torn between wild antisemitism and anti-government conspiracies, had a field day with the revelation that Esterhazy was sending letters to the German embassy and that his handwriting matched the original note. Still, despite all the evidence, the army acquitted the real spy, who not only wrote ten years' worth of letters about how much he hated France, but also promptly moved to England and later confessed. Picquart was driven out of the French army for his troubles. Dreyfus was eventually retried and somehow convicted again. After the second conviction, he was offered a pardon if he accepted guilt, an offer he accepted just to end his ordeal. The backlash sparked a culture war from which the French far right never recovered, forever separated church and state in France, and led many Jewish Europeans to believe that only a Jewish state could protect them – the seeds of the Zionist movement were planted. Both trials caught the world's attention, but the story doesn't end there. In 1906, Alfred Dreyfus was reinstated, promoted to major, and served in World War I. He served in artillery supply and fought at the Battle of Verdun. He died in 1935, having retired from the military with the Legion d'Honneur and a Croix de guerre. Despite his later history, the Dreyfus Affair, as it became known, remains a divisive issue in French politics. The act of posthumously promoting him to general is seen as a kind of reparation in a country that houses the largest Jewish population outside of Israel itself.
