A sound walk at the launch of a new course for students of the Cycle ingénieur polytechnicien program

The Cycle ingénieur polytechnicien program students of the 2023 class began their second academic year by rediscovering their campus and its immediate surroundings as part of the launch of a new course on sustainable engineering. 

Entitled “Engineering Sustainability, s'ingénier pour durer”, and led by economist Céline Guivarch, a specialist in climate change at École des Ponts and a writer for the IPCC, this 40-hour course aims to give 2nd-year Polytechnique engineering students a systemic vision of the major challenges of sustainability, and to equip them with the knowledge they need to tackle them.

An opportunity for real teaching innovation, this course was launched on August 26th with a sound walk around our campus, enabling students to relate their everyday environment to planetary issues. 

“I really liked the historical approach of this tour, which took us back into the history of the site. I also appreciated the diversity of the speakers and the multidisciplinary approach of this commented itinerary”, commented Jean Bresson (X23).

“I'm thinking, for example, of the testimony given by a local farmer, who put the campus in the context of outside farming activities. It's the first time I've been able to benefit from such a numerical and scientific approach to these issues”, he added. 

This kick-off was followed on Tuesday by a first lecture, highlighting the unprecedented co-construction of interdisciplinary content: there is no simple question with a single answer, and engineers will be on the front line to act on these complex and systemic issues. The day ended with the launch of the first group work modules.

Designed with the contribution of eight teaching and research departments at École polytechnique, specializing in complementary scientific disciplines, the “Engineering Sustainability, s'ingénier pour durer” course is structured around lectures and group work modules. 

This interdisciplinary course will cover a wide range of topics, from biodiversity to climate, and will combine physics, mechanics, chemistry and biology with history, economics and management.

The launch of this new course is part of the X Climate Plan, launched in January 2022 and now in its third year of implementation. 

Built around 10 achievable five-year objectives, the X Climate Plan integrates sustainable development issues into the fundamental missions of training, research, innovation and the operation of the École polytechnique campus.