This year, IFP School’s engineering programs welcomed 252 students from 41 countries.
The 3-day integration program took students around the IFP School campus, Rueil-Malmaison’s city center, and finally to the "Domaine de Vert-Mont".
Three days of intense activities, full of new experiences and novelties. This initial period enabled students to slowly get to know their way around their new environment, forge new friendships, and develop a team spirit.
An initial welcome
Gathered together in IFPEN's Dahlias amphitheatre, students of Class of 2023 began their integration on September 1st with a welcome speech by Christine Travers, Dean of IFP School. Mrs. Travers warmly welcomed incoming students by underlining the richness and diversity of their profiles, before addressing the major challenges that await them with regard to the energy transition.
On this theme, Christine Travers concluded: "Without a doubt, one of the School’s added-values is that it addresses all the various types of energy sources included in the energy mix, with the exception of nuclear energy. These different forms of energy are going to have to coexist at least for a few more years [...], and therefore implementing the energy transition, will not simply be a question of opposing one source of energy against another. Only you will have acquired all the skills needed to legitimately explain to others exactly what the energy transition is really about."
Then, Clément Cahagne, Head of the Educational Innovations and Immersive Realities hubs at Lab e·nov™, the digital culture laboratory of IFP School, presented the lab’s digital environment, its digital tools as well as the equipment and spaces available to students. This year’s novelty: Lab e-nov™ invited students to an after-work (several sessions are scheduled) to allow them to visit the facilities and test for themselves the equipment. Students were invited to record a podcast, shoot a video on a green screen and even try the virtual reality headsets.
At the end of the presentations, students returned to the campus where a nice, friendly breakfast awaited them. The end of the morning was then punctuated by each program greeting its set of students. To be noted, this year's record figures: 90% of new recruits in the engineering programs are sponsored by a company, 62% of which are apprentices!
That afternoon, the School organized a special welcome and a dedicated information session for apprentices and sponsored students in work-study programs.
The aim of these meetings is to present in detail the apprenticeship and work-study programs, as well as answer all the questions students may have so they can start the school year with their minds at ease.
The 2nd day of integration
Integration continued on September 8. The new students were given the opportunity to discover the Student Chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), one of the most active learned societies at IFP School.
On this occasion, Jean-Pierre Deflandre, Professor and co-holder of the CarMa Chair and SPE Faculty Advisor, presented the history of the chapter, its functioning and its actions. He also invited students to get involved and play an active role in the structure, pointing out in particular that last year's team had wanted to focus on the issue of the evolution of the oil sector with regard to climate change, resulting in the creation of the Carbon Footprint Chair within this section.
This second day of integration ended with a welcome cocktail on the banks of the Seine, offered by the Mayor of Rueil-Malmaison, Patrick Ollier, in the presence of Pierre-Franck Chevet, President of IFP Energies nouvelles and Christine Travers — a festive moment appreciated by all.
A dynamic and energizing final day
The final day of integration began on September 9, with a discovery tour of the city of Rueil-Malmaison organized by the town’s tourist office.
Divided into 20 teams, students took part in a treasure hunt allowing them to discover the city's heritage and cultural wealth.
Once the game finished, they headed to the "Domaine de Vert-Mont" for a lunch on the grass! After an energizing lunch, students were ready for an afternoon of fun and sports based around the core values of the School: responsibility, openness and solidarity.
This year at Vert-Mont, as part of the School’s CSR approach, two new actions were launched to raise student awareness: the first was on disability awareness presented in a workshop led by Ludivine Pidol, lecturer and Disability Referent at IFP School; the second, on the need to reduce the use of plastic on campus with the distribution of isothermal water bottles by the "Sustainable Campus Initiative" group.
This year’s Integration ended with prizes being awarded to the top three teams, focusing on the School's values: the Openness Prize by IFP School, the Responsibility Prize offered by Crédit Mutuel and the Solidarity Prize awarded by the IFP School Alumni Association.
The School wishes all its students and staff a new academic year rich in learnings!
Article written by Meyling Siu