  the Ãcole normale supÃ©rieure (; also known as normale supâ, ens ulm, ens paris and most often just as ens) is a french grande Ã©cole (higher education establishment outside the framework of the public university system). the ens was initially conceived during the french revolution. it was intended to provide the republic with a new body of teachers, trained in the critical spirit and secular values of the enlightenment. it has since developed into an elite institution which has become a platform for many of france's brightest young people to pursue high-level careers in government and academia, and as such stands as one of the symbols of republican meritocracy, along with Ãcole nationale d'administration and ecole polytechnique ("x"), offering its alumni access to high positions within the state. founded in 1793 and reorganized by napoleon, ens has two main sections (literary and scientific) and a highly competitive selection process consistin
1794_establishments_in_France 5th_arrondissement_of_Paris Education_in_Paris Grandes_A(c)coles University_of_Paris University_research_collaboratives Acoles_Normales_SupA(c)rieures