Colombia joins the growing list of EPITA partner countries

EPITA has formally signed a partnership agreement with Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. This agreement will give EPITA students the chance to discover a new destination among the 65 that are currently available for those enrolled in the Integrated Preparatory classes and Engineering Master’s cycle. Let’s now take a look at this new partnership with Rabih Haddad, Deputy Director of International Relations at EPITA and Head of the International Master’s Program.

Celia Fernandez, international partnership and students mobility manager
& Rabih Haddad, Head of the Master’s Program

This is EPITA’s first partnership with a Colombian university. How did it come about?
It all began with a trip last November to Bogota, where we represented EPITA at the Colombia EURO Posgrados trade show, an employment fair in which French and European companies recruit Colombian students who wish to enjoy a professional experience abroad. Before leaving for Colombia, we had been in contact with several people working in Colombian institutes of higher education, who we visited during our stay. One of whom was the vice president of Universidad de los Andes, a major university in Bogota, which has a program that is quite similar to those offered in French engineering schools. There were a few French teachers and the vice president herself was very familiar with the French system as she had completed her thesis in France. In light of this and contrary to the majority of foreign universities, this school works in a way that is similar to ours, with Integrated Preparatory classes and an Engineering Master’s cycle. This logically resulted in stronger ties between EPITA and Universidad de los Andes.

EPITA now boasts partnership agreements with more than sixty higher educational institutions and universities from around the world. In addition to Colombia, what other counties have joined the school’s network?
Over the past ten years, our network has expanded well beyond Europe and the United States, with newcomers that include universities from South Africa and Nigeria, for example. And, most importantly, EPITA has developed a very solid partnership with a number of universities in Asia, including new academic institutions in China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. Today, there are more than 40 countries that welcome our 2nd year students into their exchange programs.

EPITA, a dynamic international dimension:
• 65 international partner institutions from 5 continents
• Over forty different nationalities on our campus
• 1 International Master’s program that brings together over one hundred students each year
• More than 50 exchange program agreements
• 12 double degree agreements

An international dimension is an essential advantage for today’s and tomorrow’s engineers.
Gone are the days when Engineers remained cloistered in a local or national environment. Now, IT projects and technological innovations are rapidly developing on a world-wide scale. “The major groups have, for example, developers in France, India, China, Mali, and the Middle East, etc., states Rabih Haddad. Having good technical prowess is not enough to successfully complete a project. You must also demonstrate real cultural awareness.” With a global approach and diversity highlighted on its campus, EPITA gives its students the opportunity to reinforce their level of English, discover new horizons and optimally prepare for a career enhanced with a myriad of experiences.