Welcome to the international academic exchange program at l’X

It's a big step into the unknown, but many students have dared to take it. They ventured to study for an exchange semester at a university abroad. L'X is delighted to welcome over sixty of them for the start of the 2024 academic year. Students taking part in the institution’s international academic exchange program come from thirty of the École Polytechnique's international partners worldwide - all renowned for their excellence.

To ensure that the candidates attend courses that match their academic level during their exchange semester, the institution applies a selective and tailored protocol. The academic jury scrutinizes each candidate's level of academic achievement, admitting them to the appropriate programs and courses so they can fully benefit from their exchange semester. While gaining experience in France, the exchange students will also bring a fresh perspective to the École Polytechnique's students and contribute to the institution's rich student life.

Scarlet Gray, who is pursuing a Master of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne – one of Australia’s best universities and an international partner of the École Polytechnique, will study alongside third-year students in the Ingénieur Polytechnicien Program. 

Among the many subjects she will be studying during her exchange semester, Scarlet mentions Mechanics for Wind Energy, Design of Innovative Technologies, Greenhouse gases (GHG) challenges and observations, Biofluids Mechanics and Mass Transport, and Fundamentals of Strategy and Innovation. “These subjects cover a broad range of engineering fields, which reflects my varied interests”, she states enthusiastically and adds: “These subjects are unlike those on offer back home, so I’m really excited to take them!” 

Being used to the University of Melbourne’s campus, which brings together students from very different disciplines, Scarlet Gray explains that she is “excited to immerse [herself] in a university like École Polytechnique, where everyone is focused on engineering”, and stresses: “The specialized nature of the campus is very different to what I’m used to and something I’ve been looking forward to experiencing firsthand”.

When asked why she chose to apply for the international academic exchange program at l’X, Scarlet mentions “École Polytechnique’s well-known reputation for engineering excellence”, that she wanted to experience firsthand. “Being taught by some of the best minds in the world is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up”, she says. 
But the emphasis l’X puts on sports was also a decisive factor. “The balance between sports and academics here is also unique, which really appealed to me”, Scarlet states and goes on to say: “Beyond academics, I’m also eager to get involved in the sports programs and the different student associations on offer – I’m having a hard time choosing between climbing, rowing, CrossFit and raid – they’re all up my alley!”

The international academic exchange program

The École Polytechnique offers for international students enrolled in a degree program in science or engineering at an institution abroad the opportunity to take classes at the École Polytechnique for one or two exchange semesters as part of the international academic exchange program. L’X has academic exchange agreements with a number of higher education institutions, many of which are in the top 10 universities worldwide, like the University of Chicago and the University of California San Diego in the United States, Bocconi University and the Polytechnic University of Milan (Polimi) in Italy, King's College London in the United Kingdom, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Switzerland, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the University of Tokyo in Japan, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Korea, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chili (PUC).