Graduate Student Exchange Program (École normale supérieure, rue d'Ulm, Paris)
The Institution
The École Normale Supérieure is a French grand école (a higher education establishment outside the mainstream framework of the public universities system, located in the heart of Paris. The ENS was initially conceived during the French Revolution and was intended to provide a new body of teachers, trained in the critical spirit and secular values of the Enlightenment and to symbolize independence of mind. 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.
Length of the Program
The Exchange Program covers one academic year to be spent at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. The academic year at the ENS starts in early September and ends in early May (although international students may stay in the residences until June 30).
Eligibility/Application Process
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures offers three graduate student exchange positions in France each year at the ENS rue d’Ulm. RLL students in the French section have priority, but students from other sections within the department, and from any other department in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who have completed their coursework are encouraged to apply. Both US citizens and non-citizens are eligible. Note that there is a separate ENS fellowship open to GSAS students administered by the Committee on General Scholarships.
If you are interested in applying for an exchange position, please read the information below, then fill out the application form and return it with a statement of purpose describing how spending a year in Paris fits in with your academic goals. (Please also submit a letter of recommendation from (Please also submit a letter of recommendation from your advisor if you are not a PhD candidate in the French section of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures) to Katherine Killough (killough@fas.harvard.edu) by the deadline (March 1 of the preceding spring).
Status and Amenities at the ENS
The international exchange students at the ENS have the status of Pensionnaires étrangers de l’ENS, which comes with the following institutional benefits:
- Free access to all ENS classes and graduate seminars. Students may also enroll in a French university.
- Academic tutoring (tutorat). All ENS students are expected to have a tutor (academic advisor). Upon arrival, pensionnaires should contact the International Relations Office to request a tutor.
- Access to the ENS libraries – students must complete the registration process for each library separately.
- Access to internet in the residence halls and on-campus computer facilities. Pensionnaires will also be provided with an ENS email address.
- Access to cultural, arts and sports activities organized by the ENS student union.
- Access to the ENS restaurant at subsidized prices.
Funding
On the Harvard side, each exchange participant receives a $20,000 grant from GSAS. Questions about how this is disbursed or about combining this funding with other fellowships can be directed to the GSAS Financial Aid Office. In addition to free lodging in one of their residence halls, international exchange students have access to subsidized meals at the ENS restaurant, and the other amenities listed above.
Housing
The ENS provides each of the three Harvard students with a dorm room (free of charge) at one of three graduate student residence halls. The ENS housing is by all accounts rustic, but is convenient to campus and centrally located, providing students with an immersive cultural experience. Participants may choose to seek their own housing if they prefer (there is no requirement to live on campus).
Note on Visas
Students chosen for the exchange must assume responsibility for obtaining the appropriate visa. Non EEU citizens/permanent residents will need to request a long-stay student visa type D from the French Consulate in their country of origin or residence. The department will help to get the necessary documents from the exchange institutions but once this is done, we can do nothing to advance the visa process. Visas can be obtained at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., or at a French consulate in the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, or San Juan. When making summer plans, keep in mind that important documents will arrive in late June or early July and that the visa application is made in late August or early September.
Contact Information
École Normale Supérieure
Department of International Relations
45, rue d'Ulm 75230
Paris cedex 05 — France
Tél. 33 (0)1 44 32 31 35
dri@ens.fr
Cédric GUILLERME / Director, Department of International Relations
Gianmarco GALLOTTA / Administrative Director, International Relations and International Cooperation
Catherine WALLACE / Exchange Coordinator
Anaëlle DURAND / Exchange Coordinator
For more detailed information, see the International Relations’ Department’s Guide for International Students and their page, "Préparer son séjour à l'école."