Activities

Supporting the French Engineering Schools' development and projects for 40 years

CDEFI has been guiding and supporting French Schools of Engineering in their development and projects for almost 40 years.
To carry out the missions it is responsible for, CDEFI relies on five thematic working groups, which are in charge of investigating all topics they are entrusted with according to the Conference priorities.

Each member of CDEFI can join four out of the five working groups and follows their activities during the year:

• Education, Research and Innovation
• Europe and International
• Student Guidance
• Resources and Staff Guidance
• Ecological and Societal Transition

The members of these working groups meet once every two months. 

Education, Research and Innovation

The mission of the Education, Research and Innovation Commission is to reflect on the new challenges of research and the active role of Engineering Schools in this field.

Since research is an important part of the schools' development strategy, the commission  in charge of defending the viewpoint of Schools of Engineering making sure that they are involved in the definition of the National Research Strategy.

The Education, Research and Innovation Commission also acts so as to make research activities of Schools of Engineering more attractive, through framework agreements with the greater research organisms and an active participation in the research alliances and to promote innovations in Engineering Schools.

Europe and International 

The mission of the Europe and International Commission is to help schools find support for their international activities, in terms of both strategic and practical issues. Its members can exchange experiences and benefit from shared reflection about such topics as the opening of campuses abroad or the evolution of legislation on foreign students’ welcoming and French students’ mobility.

The Europe and International Commission work should also focus on relations with the professional world. The identity of the schools is based on strong collaboration with companies. At an institutional level, CDEFI's role is to strengthen this link by developing its relations with professional organisations.

CDEFI also operates international programmes, including the FITEC programmes.

Student Guidance

The members of the Student Guidance Commission discuss all topics related to Engineering education : courses, teaching methods, teachers, types of training, including lifelong learning and work/study training programmes, etc.

On the other hand, the Education and Society Commission feeds the debate on social topics : equal opportunities, gender equality, higher education accessibility, ethics, student’s life and learning conditions, sustainable development, etc.

Last, the Education and Society Commission aims at conveying the brand image of French Schools of Engineering locally, nationally and abroad.

Resources and Staff Guidance 

The members of the Resources and and Staff Guidance Commission examine all topics related to autonomy, financial resources of Engineering Schools , business models of higher education and research institutions.

The Resources and Staff Guidance Commission also reflects about the new stakes of financial resources’ assignment for Schools of Engineering and helps them to understand and measure their training costs.

Ecological and Societal Transition

The mission of the Ecological and Societal Transition Commission is to support Engineering  Schools in their transition to sustainable practices in all areas of their activity, both in training and research and in their internal operations and institutional actions. 
 

Programmes

On behalf of the Engineering Schools, CDEFI develops and/or pilots various programmes and projects in order to answer problems encountered by institutions of higher education and research in different topics such as the professional integration of doctors, equity between women and men, and the international mobility of students and teachers.