Higher Education and Research, Facts and Figures provides an annual overview, backed up by figures, of the French higher education and research system, in order to show where the country stands internationally and to monitor changes, especially over the long term. Funding, human resources, access to higher education, pass rates, qualifications, integration of graduates into working life, student life, research in biotechnology or nanotechnology, participation in FP7, publications, patents, etc. - all these topics are covered in the 35 fact sheets that make up the 3rd edition (2009) of this work.
This second revised and expanded edition reflects France's interest in those two indispensable and inseparable growth drivers, Higher Education and Research, with intelligence, competitiveness and innovation at the forefront. In its design, the work is intended to be clear, user-friendly and transparent. It is by definition an information tool available to the public. It covers public policy and strategic decisions taken on behalf of the Nation. It is also intended to be a management tool for decision-makers.
The first edition of The State of Higher Education and Research presents a detailed overview, backed up by figures, of current developments within the French system, the resources it deploys and its outcomes, situating it, wherever data permit, in relation to its international counterparts.
This first edition of Higher Education and Research, Facts and Figures is more than a mere inventory of a system: it is designed as an informational tool to be used by all. It illustrates the political and strategic choices made on behalf of the Nation and, in the interests of transparency, it reports on the effectiveness of public policy: democratisation of higher education, success in university studies, outcomes for students, research effort, scientific publications, staff situations, etc.
