Agraduation ceremony was held on the Zijingang Campus yesterday for the firstgraduating cohort of the Sino-French double degree Master’s Program inInnovation and Entrepreneurship. The Presidents of ZJU, École Polytechnique,ENSTA ParisTech and Télécom ParisTech joined together in Hangzhou tocelebrate this important milestone of the program and this outstanding achievementfor the 10 graduating students.

Duringthe ceremony, ZJU President WU Zhaohui and President of École Polytechnique Eric LABAYE presented diplomas to thegraduating students on behalf of ZJU and the French institutions. The 10students were awarded a Master’s degree in Engineering/Engineering Managementfrom ZJU, and an Advanced Master’s degree from the partner French schools. They also received a graduation honor stole from President of Télécom ParisTech YvesPOILANE, and a book, Gerard MOUROU's L'impressionnisme entre artet science, from President of ENSTA ParisTech ElisabethCRÉPON, as a graduation gift.  

Accreditedby the French Conféréncedes Grandes Écoles (CGE), this Master’s program is a result of thelongstanding partnership between ZJU, École Polytechnique, ENSTA ParisTech andTélécom ParisTech. In his speech, President WU thanked officials from thepartner French institutions for their strong support and spoke extensively onthe importance of cross-border sharing of education resources. “It ismeaningful to blend the education models from both China and France to traincreative talent, who has outstanding leadership and cross-culturalcommunication skills and will be able to lead future industry.”

PresidentLABAYE believes the program will enable students to take a more globalperspective on innovation in their own work. “This executive program has beendesigned to allow the students to advance in their careers without compromisingtheir professional obligations. Through rich and varied modules, both in Franceand in China, it offers a unique opportunity to develop managerial skills in acontext where science, technology and innovation play a major role.”

Altogether31 part-time graduate students of ZJU Polytechnic Institute have been enrolledin the program since its launch in September 2016. Participants spend the firsttwo semesters at ZJU and the third semester in courses at the three partnerFrench engineering schools (“Grandes Écoles d'Ingénieurs”), where they learnfrom top faculty members of the partner institutions and develop a moreinternational outlook during their academic career. During their finalsemester, students return to ZJU for the preparation and defense of theirMaster’s thesis.

WANG Yikuai,who graduated from the program in electrical engineering said that the “Programadministrators from both Zhejiang University and the French partner schoolspaid great attention to our needs and gave their utmost support.” She furtheradded that “the rigorous academic program and culturally diverse environment”greatly contributed to her learning and personal development.

The history of the program can betraced back to 2011, when ZJU and ParisTech officially confirmed theirpartnership by signing an MoU at the institutional level. Ever since, highlevel engagements have been the norm as ZJU and the partner French schoolsworked hand in hand to strengthen ties and enhance collaboration. It was alsothis partnership that partly resulted in the founding of ZJU Polytechnic Institutein 2016.