Grenoble Institute of Technology

Overview

Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP) is a technical university system located in Grenoble, Isère, France. Established in 1900, it currently runs eight engineering and management schools under its system. Grenoble INP is classified as “Grande école,” referring to institutions of higher education in France that are separate from but are parallel to the French public university system. Grande école type institutions often have a highly competitive admission process and smaller student population compared to public universities.

Grenoble INP’s engineering schools include Grenoble INP - Ense3 (Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences); Grenoble INP - Ensimag (Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences); Grenoble INP - Esisar (Advanced Systems and Networks); and Grenoble INP - Phelma (Physics, Electronics, Materials Sciences). Its graduate school for management, Grenoble IAE, is dedicated to training managers using applied learning and its vast network of business professors, management researchers, and alumni working in a variety of industries.

Grenoble INP offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in study areas such as energy, micro and nanotechnologies, digital society, energy, and environment. French is the main medium of instruction but there are also courses taught in English. These include the Dual Degree in International Business - Bachelor in Management, Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Master's degree in Advanced Materials for Innovation and Sustainability, and Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering.

There are doctoral programs conducted in the university’s 32 renowned research laboratories. It also offers short summer programs fully taught in English for foreign students and longer International Semesters that last for six months and cover study areas like responsive design, paper sciences, digital media and functional printing among others. Additionally, there are short courses for adult continuing education that cover study areas such as electronics, microelectronics, nanotechnologies; digital and communication technologies; and water and environment.

Grenoble Institute of Technology was established as a place to train more engineers following the achievements of the country’s industrial pioneers in the applications of hydraulic power during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. The university steadily grew and in 1971 became part of the National Polytechnic Institutes (in French: Instituts Nationaux Polytechniques or INPs) together with three other institutions: the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine, and the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux.

Grenoble INP notable alumni are found in the fields of science, engineering, computer science, and business among others. Renowned alumni include French engineer and astronaut, Jean-Jacques Favier; Caltech professor of electrical engineering and planetary science, Charles Elachi; and founder of l'Institut électro-mécanique féminin (the Women's Electro-mechanical Institute), Marie-Louise Paris.