École Normale Superieure was conceived initially during French Revolution and was founded in 1794. The primary purpose develops this institute was to provide homogenous training for high-school instructors in France, but later it was closed. This institution is, as such, not a part of the mainstream university system. However, most academic staff at the school belong to external institutes such as CNRS, EHESS and Parisian universities. ENS benefits from a continuous research stream and scientific turnover mechanism, allowing researchers to perform in every research field.
Full professorship in ENS is rare and competitive. ENS is only grande école (Elite Professional School). Generally, it considers research in all social, natural and human sciences departments in its recruitment and organization.
It has the highest turnover among French researchers due to the selectivity of its entrance exam. ENS has a very good reputation because this institute holds a high proportion of prize laureates. École Normale Superieure has recognition and achievements in physics and mathematics. Its alumni include 14 Nobel Laureates.
It is a small and selective school. There are only 2,400 students and 1400 academic staff. Here the core student body is called normaliens, and these students are admitted through a competitive exam called Concours. There are special classes for preparing for this exam. These preparation classes last for 2 years. Candidates who secure admission here receive a monthly salary of 1300 EUR and a 10-years contract to work for the state.
The sense of identity, traditions, and legacy of the students of the École Normale Superieure federate into a fully-fledged community. Many custom places, events, argot and places have been constructed over the years, from the foundation of ENS in 1974 to nowadays, and are transmitted from generation to generation.
The various campuses of ENS like Jourdan, Ulm, and Montrouge have meeting, living and sharing places. École Normale Superieure provides comfortable accommodation. It is varied dynamic research laboratories, teaching departments and well stock libraries. This institute is characterized as a high-quality institution with its pleasant living and study environment.
Following are the Global and National rankings of École Normale Superieure.
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