Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées

The Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées, often called IPSA, is a private aeronautical university localized next to Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse in France, in the Île-de-France and Midi-Pyrénées,
The university is part of IONIS Education Group and has been created in 1961.IONIS Education Group IONIS Education Group, 1er groupe français de l'enseignement supérieur privé IONIS Education Group développe son campus urbain à Bordeaux.

 History 

 1965 - 1999 

IPSA was founded in 1961 in Paris by Michel Cazin (private secretary to Louis de Broglie and teacher at the mechanical department of Conservatoire national des arts et métiers), Maurice Pradier (aerospace engineer La Promotion E.A. 52 ) and Paul Lefort (engineer and professor of helicopter). IPSA : 50 ans aver l'aéronautique Twenty students started the training.Book AAEIPSA - 50 ans d'histoire p.55 At that time, the course was in four years and the first promotion is graduated in 1965. The same year, the Alumni association is created in Paris by Maurice Ribonnet.Book AAEIPSA - 50 ans d'histoire p.64 In 1982, the first trip for students is organized in Guyana at the European Space Agency center.Book AAEIPSA - 50 ans d'histoire p.79 The year 1987 saw the university bought by Henri Hertert (IPSA 1976 and pilot at Air France).Book AAEIPSA - 50 ans d'histoire p.84 The institute moved in 1989 into the towers Les Mercuriales at Bagnolet, in which it stayed for ten years. Then, beset by financial difficulties, the university is bought by IONIS Education Group in 1999 and moved at Le Kremlin-Bicêtre close to the university EPITA.

 1999 - today 

In 2005, the Master issued by IPSA is recognized by French State at the higher level, after accreditation by the Commission nationale de la certification professionnelle. Résumé descriptif de la certification  The year 2006 sees the institute hosting the 6th European Congress of the Mars Society to promote the exploration of Mars. L’Architecture Martienne In 2007, IPSA opens a second campus in Toulouse, joins the Erasmus programme and concludes double degree agreements with foreign universities. Following its establishment in Toulouse, the university joins the Institut au service du spatial, de ses applications et technologies Membres de l'ISSAT  during the year 2008. The next year, IPSA joins Aerospace Valley LISTE DES MEMBRES  and moved in Ivry-sur-Seine close to the university ESME-Sudria, IPSA - Ouverture d’une 3ème année à Toulouse et déménagement à Ivry before being recognized by the French State in 2010. Arrêté du 14 avril 2010 portant reconnaissance par l'État de l'Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées

In 2011, the university is accredited by the Commission des titres d'ingénieur. Ingénieur diplômé de l'Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées Formation initiale sous statut d'étudiant  In January 2013, IPSA became member of the Conférence des directeurs des écoles françaises d'ingénieurs. Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées

 History of directors 

The current director is Anne-Ségolène Abscheidt, who is also vice-president of Ingénieurs et scientifiques de France. This is the tenth person to hold that function since 1961. She was appointed director of IPSA in June 2023. L’IPSA prépare son avenir avec l’arrivée d’une nouvelle équipe de Direction

+ List of directorsName  Years Michel Cazin, Maurice Pradier and Paul Lefort 1961 to 1987 Henri Herter 1987 to 1998 Guy Robin 1998 to 1999 Aimé Merran 1999 to 2009 Hervé Renaudeau 2009 to 2016 Francis Pollet 2017 to 2022 Valérie Cornetet 2022 to 2023 Anne-Ségolène Abscheidt Since 2023

 Governance 

Member of IONIS Education Group, Ecoles d’ingénieurs: qu’est ce que c’est ? the group President, assisted by a general manager, is the President of the university. He is a member of the four directorates of the university: L'équipe 
 Development and international relations directorate which also managed the communication and admissions ;
 Training directorate with a manager for the Bachelor cycle and another one for the Master cycle ; 
 Corporate relations directorate ;
 Research and quality directorate.

 Training and research 

 Curriculum 

IPSA wants to be close to other universities with a strong theoretical training for research and development jobs in order to graduate engineer in aeronautical and space engineering with a good general knowledge in aerospace. IPSA Paris
The course is in five years with five possibilities in the fourth year: Année d'études AERO 4  "energy, spacecraft propulsion and engine", "mechanics and aircraft structure", "telecommunications, radar and radio navigation", "embedded system", "mechatronics". The students choose also one minor from ten: "Entrepreneurship", "business marketing", "association management", "Research Management", "Conduct of an international project", "project personnel development", "Board and consulting", " human resource management", "cultural management", "financial management".

In the fifth year, four options are available independently of the choice made in the fourth year: Année d'études AERO 5  "Avionics", "Aeronautical Systems Design", " Space Systems Design" and "Management and Industrial Logistics".

The particularity of the university is to offer from the first year lessons relating to aeronautics in addition to basic scientific education and to provide a large part in project-based teaching throughout the curriculum.
Students also have the opportunity to attend a technical and managerial course sanctioned by a Master of Business Administration in "business and international negotiation" of the Institut supérieur de gestion in addition to the diploma of the university, or to make the last year of studies in a foreign university in partnership with IPSA. Eleven months of internship are planned in the curriculum.

After graduation, graduates are represented by the association AAEIPSA (IPSA Alumni association). Association des Anciens Élèves de l'IPSA (AAEIPSA) They work, for 70% of them, in the aerospace industry, mainly in research and development (46%) and in the Île-de-France region (57%).

Admission to the university is possible after a Baccalauréat by succeeding to the competition "Advance" organized in partnership with EPITA and ESME-Sudria. In total, the three universities offer approximately 900 places. ESME Sudria : implantation à Lille et Lyon, nouveau campus à Paris, nouveau concours Advance et intégration dans APB  It is also possible to integrate the university in the second, third or fourth year studies for students coming from a two-years degree after the Baccalauréat, Bachelor or Master. IPSA Ivry-sur-Seine

Since 2017, IPSA has also some Bachelor's degree program in aerospace.Orientation : l'Ipsa ouvre des bachelors d'aéronautique

 International relations 
Partnerships allowing students to obtain a Master of Science with the degree of IPSA exist with Shenyang University in China, Succès pour la première promotion d'élèves de l'IPSA en Chine Cranfield University in UK,European Partnership Programme : Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées Moscow State University in Russia, the Université Laval in Canada Partenaires du département de génie mécanique  and the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan Aéronautique : 30 étudiants de l’IPSA bientôt en stage à Tainan .Taïwan

Students can also use the Erasmus programme. SEJOUR OU STAGE ERASMUS EN AERO 3, 4 ou 5 + DE 30 PLACES DANS 11 PAYS DE L’EUROPE 

The university has also other partnerships La mobilité internationale - présentation  with Arizona State University, San Diego State University, University of California at Davis and Monash University.

 Research activities 

Research at IPSA is realized in 2011 by three laboratories : 3D computer graphics - calculation, mechatronics and fluid mechanics applied to aerodynamics.

The laboratory of 3D computer graphics and calculation creating new algorithms to solve problems of processing and analysis of signals and images. It works in partnership with the laboratoire des signaux et systèmes (L2S) (signals and systems laboratory) (agreement signed in 2010), a laboratory of the French National Centre for Scientific Research based at Supélec. IONIS Mag, n° 12, p. 15

IPS'action association has launched in 2006 the « UNIV'air » challenge in order to present to people research projects in partnership with the Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France and other universities such as the École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace or EPF. La Lettre numéro 5 

In 2008, an aircraft without pilot project named « Hélitronix » and realized by students and researchers of the mechatronics laboratory was selected during the « Minidrone » challenge funded by the General Directorate for Armament and organized by the Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales. Hélitronix, le projet des étudiants de l’IPSA sélectionné The same laboratory works on the « Perseus project » which consists of the development of rockets from the Centre national d'études spatiales, in partnership with « AéroIPSA » student association.Book AAEIPSA - 50 ans d'histoire p.46

Moreover, IPSA participates to « ASTech Paris Région ». Les membres It contributes at its development in many sectors : aircraft engine, onboard energy, aircraft design, material, training and research, and maintenance.

In November 2011, the  fluid mechanics applied to aerodynamics laboratory created in 2009 has adopted a new calculation tool allowing for the end of 2011 the commissioning of a digital wind tunnel. L'IPSA se dote d'un nouvel instrument de calcul 

 Notable people 

 Alumni 

Several managers have studied at the university, like Cyril Bourlon de Rouvre (1965), French businessman and politician, Philippe Harache (1976), former Christian Gras Executive Vice-President "customers" Eurocopter, Christian Gras (1983), Executive Vice-President "customers" Eurocopter or  Éric Boullier (1999), Team principal McLaren.
Stéphane Gaillard (1997), Technical Assistant to Vice President development flight test Airbus, Conférence : Airbus et les essais en vol Gilles de Richemond (1997), head of IT of AccorHotels, Julien Simon-Chautemps (2002), race Engineer Marcus Ericsson Sauber Lotus Renault GP recrute Julien Simon-Chautemps ,Julien Simon-Chautemps Nicolas Tenoux (2007), airline pilot and manager,Découvrez le portrait de Nicolas Tenoux, officier pilote de ligne and Maxime Cadé (2018), Fencer,Un IPSAlien à la conquête du monde : suivez les exploits de l’escrimeur Maxime Cadé (promo 2018) !  are also alumni of IPSA.

 Teachers and former teachers 
 Denis Maricourt, general knowledge teacher Le corps professoral de l'IPSA à Paris et à Toulouse  and author of Figures de l'éclectisme dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle (Figures of eclecticism in the second half of the eighteenth century).Figures de l'éclectisme dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle, Champion, Paris, 2003, 

 Related pages 
 IONIS Education Group

 References 

 Further reading 
 Lucien Robineau (dir.), Les Français du ciel : Dictionnaire historique, Paris, le cherche midi, 2005, 782 p. (), p. 628
 André Turcat, Pilote d'essais : Mémoires II, Paris, le cherche midi, 2009, 199 p. (), p. 197
  Ginibrière Gaëlle, IPSA : 50 ans avec l'aéronautique, L'Express Emploi, 15th of June 2009  
 GIFAS, Une formation pour un métier dans l'industrie aéronautique et spatiale, Paris, 2011, 62 p., p. 46
 AAEIPSA, Annuaire 2011 - 50 ans d'histoire, Paris, 2011, 412 p.
  Mariama Diallo, L'IPSA, école d'ingénieurs aéronautique depuis 1961 , Le Journal de l'aviation, 24th of April 2012
  Nicolas Tenoux (IPSA 2007), 6 mois dans la vie d’un Pilote de ligne: Les secrets du quotidien..., 15 April 2020, Amazon, 51p., (), p. 10
 Nicolas Tenoux (IPSA 2007), 6 months in the life of an Airline pilot: Daily life secrets …, 5 October 2020, Amazon, 77p., (), p. 10
  Le futur de l'avion : Les prochains défis de l’industrie aéronautique, Ivry-sur-Seine, FYP Éditions, 2020, 160 p. ()

 Other websites 

 Official website
 IPSA Alumni 

Category:Engineering schools
Category:Aerospace engineering
Category:Aviation in France
Category:Technical colleges and universities in France
Category:1961 establishments in France
Category:Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées
Category:Toulouse
Category:Organizations based in Lyon
Category:Organizations based in Marseille