From June 29 to July 1, 2025, Academician Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), led a delegation on an exchange visit to France. Professor Chen Cailian, Chinese Dean of SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology (SPEIT), Professor Zied MOUMNI, French Dean, and Qi Guifang, Director of the Cooperation and Development Office, joined the delegation. The visit focused on deepening strategic cooperation with key French partners, expanding channels for joint student training and faculty exchanges, and achieved fruitful results.

During the intensive and efficient trip, the delegation paid key visits to ESCP Business School, Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) and its member institutions, and MINES Paris - PSL.

On June 30, the delegation visited ESCP Business School. The two parties signed a student exchange agreement and a dual-degree cooperation agreement, agreeing to carry out cooperation and exchanges in talent cultivation in the "engineering + business" field, and jointly cultivate interdisciplinary talents meeting global development needs. As a promoter and participant of these two agreements, SPEIT aims to achieve breakthroughs in interdisciplinary, compound international talent training models.

On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation met with Thierry COULHON, President of IP Paris, Christopher CRIPPS, Vice President, and Estelle IACONA, President of École Nationale Supérieure des Technologies Avancées (ENSTA). They had in-depth discussions with Thierry COULHON on the teaching plan of the first Descartes Class and the new round of curriculum reform of SPEIT, explored paths for talent cultivation cooperation, reached consensus on expanding two-way student exchange scales and deepening joint doctoral training, and planned to complete the renewal of the joint doctoral training program within the year to jointly promote the development of SPEIT.

On the morning of July 1, the delegation visited ENSTA and Télécom Paris, member institutions of the IP Paris group, and held in-depth exchanges with the heads of international affairs of the two schools. They focused on discussing policies and process improvements for foreign faculty recruitment, and conducted pragmatic discussions on advancing and deepening existing dual-degree programs. During the visit, the delegation also cordially met with SPEIT students currently exchanging or pursuing doctoral degrees at IP Paris, carefully listening to their opinions and suggestions on curriculum development and exchange programs.

On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation visited MINES Paris - PSL and held talks with President Godefroy Beauvallet. The two parties in-depth explored the possibility of carrying out joint dual-degree training at the undergraduate level, and reached consensus on further promoting faculty mutual visits, student exchanges, and other cooperation. During the talks, they also identified a French coordinator for the energy discipline, establishing an effective communication mechanism for in-depth cooperation in this field in the future.

This visit to France as part of the SJTU delegation is an important measure for SPEIT to deepen its internationalization strategy and further consolidate cooperation with France. The visit not only successfully signed new exchange and dual-degree agreements, expanding diversified and high-level development paths for students, but also further consolidated and deepened strategic partnerships with top French engineering institutions such as IP Paris and MINES Paris - PSL. Substantial progress was made in joint research, faculty exchanges, and joint doctoral training, injecting strong impetus into SPEIT's high-quality development and the in-depth advancement of Sino-French engineering education cooperation.