French Universities

French Universities need a serious makeover. Their facilities are cramped, the faculty unmotivated, the research almost inexistent etc....
Fortunate students try to avoid them by integrating the Grandes Ecoles: those elite institutions. For the rest, the Public University is the only available option.

I did 5 years of studies in France in 3 Universities: Bordeaux IV, Paris I and Paris II. At Bordeaux IV, some lectures were given in lecture halls with more than 1000 students! This is not education, this is mass-education.

The new reform is supposed to give more freedom to Universities' administrators to recruit top notch professors, regulate the spending etc....

All of these are welcomed reforms in my opinion. They are much needed. France must invest into its students so that they can easily find a job once they graduate.

The French Universities need more money that is for sure, and libraries that are open on Sundays!
I am a strong believer in keeping the University almost free to everyone, but not to the detriment of the education. If to guarantee a better education, students have to contribute a little bit, I don't see the problem. What is important is that they get out with all the tools that will make them more attractive to potential employers.


So will see what exactly comes out of this new reform, but I really hope that our government will be able to shake things up!