École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

The École Normale Supérieure de Lyon is an elite French public institution that trains professors, researchers, senior civil servants as well as business and political leaders. Students choose their courses and split their time between training and research in sciences and humanities. Built on the tradition of the ENS de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud, founded in 1880, the ENS de Lyon also focuses on educational research. It is a symbol of French Republican meritocracy and it remains committed today to disseminating knowledge to the widest audience and to promoting equal opportunity.

The ENS de Lyon is part of the Université de Lyon and supports quality research that has earned it a Fields medal (Cedric Villani, 2010) and many CNRS medals. It encourages interdisciplinary studies to foster a better understanding of complex contemporary issues.

Setting up an ENS in Lyon was a bit of a long shot! But the French Ministry and directors of the Écoles - reputed French higher education establishments, rose to the challenge, as well as local decision makers, universities and scientific researchers, to create an ENS and leading research laboratories, outside the French capital. Today, we can say that their efforts have really paid off! ENS de Lyon is proud to open its doors to show visitors what the School has achieved over 30 years, thanks to all the teacher-researchers, staff and ENS pupils and other students who have all contributed to this success.

Aiming to set up a worldwide training and research network, the ENS de Lyon has developed strong international partnerships with universities, research institutes and other institutions. It strives to break barriers between training and research, to be an active part of European and international research networks, to link businesses with experimental research and to contribute to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge. The ENS de Lyon bets on international strategic partnerships and networks to enhance its research & academic programs, and to stand on the global stage. It also encourages academic mobility beyond borders, whether through exchange programs such as Erasmus, internships and sabbaticals.

Relying on strong research cooperations, the ENS de Lyon has developed a global network of academic and research partnerships over the years. The ENS de Lyon's research labs, teaching departments and student clubs organize, throughout the year, myriad conferences and events open to all. Since 2002, the association "Confluence des savoirs" brings together a dozen public and private partners that organize 6 to 8 conferences each year, centered around a debate between a renowned scientist and a famous artist. The ENS de Lyon is a partner of this initiative.

The library of the ENS de Lyon is home to some 1.2 million documents and electronic resources that can be consulted by anyone. Students, teachers and researchers from Lyon and its region can borrow titles from Monday through Friday 9am - 7pm and Saturday 9am - 5pm.

The ENS de Lyon can accommodate some 700 students in its halls of residence, each of them having a watchman.
Each room has unlimited cable access to the internet and the ENS intranet as well as 36 television channels of which 27 are in foreign languages. With the appropriate decoder, residents also have access to satellite services from around the world. Residents have around the clock free access to the television room, music room, weights room and laundry rooms.

Students from around the world can come to the ENS de Lyon as part of an exchange program, through the school's competitive entrance exam or based on their academic record. They can apply for a Master's, enroll in a PhD or carry out an internship in one of the school's laboratories. Study programs are tailored to students' individual needs and various scholarships can help them fund their stay in France.