The "Grandes Ecoles"

French higher education is characterised by the coexistence of two systems: the Universities and the Grandes Ecoles. Over the years, the Grandes Ecoles have proven their efficiency and adaptability in training engineers and managers for business.

The Grandes Ecoles are small to medium-sized institutions which have solid financial and administrative backing, are highly selective, provide high-quality education and maintain close ties with the corporate world. The degrees awarded by the Grandes Ecoles have the same status as public university degrees and are monitored by the French Ministry of Education. However, they reflect an education based on two imperatives: the careful selection of applicants, through a highly competitive entrance examination after two years of higher education, and the training of those students to reach an individual level of excellence corresponding to the demands of the business world. The Grandes Ecoles are also known for fostering a "team spirit" which unites the students in each class of each school. After they graduate, they are reunited in active alumni networks which successfully help young graduates start their career in France or abroad. Over two-thirds of the managing directors and chief executives of the hundred biggest French companies are graduates of Grandes Ecoles .

There are more than 150 Grandes Ecoles in management and engineering in France. These schools train over 20 000 students each year. They are grouped together within the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, a non-profit organisation that seeks to promote their activities and contributes to the improvement of their educational programmes.

In the 1980s, the Chapitre des Ecoles de Management (Schools of Management Chapter) was created within the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles as an association of France's top management schools. One of its objectives is to contribute to professional qualifications in management: it determines the criteria for membership and the professional standards in order to create a true system of accreditation. Today the Chapter comprises 30 Grandes Ecoles, including Burgundy School of Business.