Rene Descartes University (Paris V)

Université René Descartes (Paris V)

Paris, France
Website: www.parisdescartes.fr Founded: 1971 year Type of University:Public StudyQA ranking: 1628 pts. No. Students: 33500 Languages: French Phone: +33176531709
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About Paris Descartes University 

Paris Descartes University (French: Université Paris 5 René Descartes), also known as "Paris V", is a French public research university located in Paris. It belongs to the leading academic alliance Sorbonne Paris Cité. It was established in order to succeed the medicine department of the world's second oldest academic institution, the University of Paris (often referred as the Sorbonne), shortly before the latter officially ceased to exist on December 31, 1970, as a consequence of the French cultural revolution of 1968, often referred to as "the French May". It is one of the best and the most prestigious French universities, mainly in the areas of medical sciences, biomedical sciences, law, computer science, economics and psychology.

Headquartered in the historic École de Chirurgie in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the university strongly focuses on medical sciences (medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy, psychology), biomedical sciences (cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biomedical physic), social sciences (sociology, anthropology, linguistics, demographics, science of education), mathematics, computer science and law (information technology law, business law, tax law, public law, private law...).

A major pole of research and learning, Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité is one of the most prestigious universities in France and the best one in its main domains. On that basis among others, it was rated by the 2013 QS World University Ranking 51-100th in Pharmacy and Pharmacology (1st in France), 101-150th in Biological Sciences (1st in France), 100th in Medicine (first in France), 151-200th in Psychology (1st in France), 151-200th in Linguistics (2nd in France), and 151-200th in Law (2nd in France). It was also rated by the 2015/16 The Times Higher Education Subject Rankings as the 73rd (2nd in France) best university in Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health.

The University Paris Descartes supports a modern approach of social sciences on the basis of fieldwork, participant observation and ethnography (Master's degree in cultural and social anthropology, at the School of humanities and social sciences - Sorbonne). The dual master's degree ("Economics and Psychology" and "Cogmaster") in partnership with other important French academic institutions such as Pantheon-Sorbonne University and the École Normale Supérieure emphasizes opportunities offered as far as research is concerned.

Faculty members have included eminent jurists, doctors and politicians.

History of Paris Descartes University 

The historic University of Paris (French: Université de Paris) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was reorganised in 1970 as 13 autonomous universities after the student protests of the French May. Following months of conflict between students and authorities at the University of Paris at Nanterre, the administration shut down that university on May 2, 1968. Students of the Sorbonne protested the closure and the threatened expulsion of several students at Nanterre on May 3, 1968. More than 20,000 students, teachers and supporters marched towards the Sorbonne, still sealed off by the police, who charged, wielding their batons, as soon as the marchers approached. While the crowd dispersed, some began to create barricades out of whatever was at hand, while others threw paving stones, forcing the police to retreat for a time. The police then responded with tear gas and charged the crowd again. Hundreds more students were arrested.

Negotiations broke down and students returned to their campuses after a false report that the government had agreed to reopen them, only to discover the police still occupying the schools. The students now had a near revolutionary fervor. Another protest was organized on the Rive Gauche by students on May 10. When the riot police again blocked them from crossing the river, the crowd again threw up barricades, which the police then attacked at 2:15 in the morning after negotiations once again foundered. The confrontation, which produced hundreds of arrests and injuries, lasted until dawn of the following day.

Well over a million people marched through Paris on Monday, May 13; the police stayed largely out of sight. Prime Minister Georges Pompidou personally announced the release of the prisoners and the reopening of the Sorbonne. However, the surge of strikes did not recede. Instead, the protesters got even more active.

When the Sorbonne reopened, students occupied it and declared it an autonomous "people's university." Approximately 401 popular action committees were set up in Paris, including the Occupation Committee of the Sorbonne, and elsewhere in the weeks that followed to take up grievances against the government and French society.

With the fall of the French Fourth Republic after the tumultuous events of May 1968, the French Fifth Republic proposed various drastic reforms of the French university system. In 1971, the five ancient faculties of the former University of Paris were split and then re-formed into thirteen interdisciplinary universities by the Faure Law.

Four of these new universities now share the premises of the historic Sorbonne building, which, until that time, had been mainly reserved for the Faculties of Arts and Human Sciences. These four universities were also given other premises in different locations throughout Paris.

Three universities have kept the Sorbonne name as part of their official title: the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne, University of Paris III - Sorbonne nouvelle and the University of Paris IV Paris-Sorbonne. The Sorbonne premises also house part of the Paris Descartes University (inheritor of the Medicine department) and the Chancellery, the educational authority of Paris.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, France

Rankings

  • A major pole of research and learning, Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité is one of the most prestigious universities in France and the best one in its main domains. On that basis among others, it was rated by the 2013 QS World University Ranking 51-100th in Pharmacy and Pharmacology (1st in France), 101-150th in Biological Sciences (1st in France), 100th in Medicine (first in France), 151-200th in Psychology (1st in France), 151-200th in Linguistics (2nd in France), and 151-200th in Law (2nd in France).
  • It was also rated by the 2015/16 The Times Higher Education Subject Rankings as the 73rd (2nd in France) best university in Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health.

Student life @Paris Descartes University 

Budget

Living in Paris is quite expensive. Make sure to plan for expenses before you arrive.

Accommodation

  • Temporary accommodation: 180 € / week
  • Rooms at the Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires (CROUS) or at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP): 300 € - 500 € / month
  • Renting an apartment: 700 € / month (inc. water and electricity)

Whatever the type of accommodation, a security deposit equal to 2 months’ rent shall be requested.

Eating

Around 200 to 250€ / month

  • Restaurants: the cheapest meals are available for 12 to 15 € / menu
  • CROUS  provide very cheap food for students: 3,05€ / meal
  • Coffee (espresso): 2 € minimum
  • Soda: around 4 €
  • A baguette costs around 1 euro

Transportation

Pass to travel inside Paris (zones 1-2): 66 € / month (possible discounts if you are under 26).
Additional information on www.ratp.fr

Opening a bank account

If your main address is in a non-European country and if you are to stay in France for longer than three months, opening a resident’s bank account is in your best interest. You should however check with your bank in your home country if there is an associated bank in France. The following three documents are necessary to open a resident’s bank account (in euros):

  • Passport
  • Residence permit
  • Proof of address (telephone or electricity bill, receipt of rent payment, certificate of lodging, etc.)

Opening a bank account entitles you to have a checkbook and/or a bank card. Checkbooks are usually free. Bank cards however are issued for a fee that ranges between 15 and 40 € / year depending on the banks as well as on the type of card.

Services of Paris Descartes University

Intensive course in language and civilization for exchange students

This course is organized by both Paris Descartes and Paris Diderot Universities. It takes place in September and again in January; it is an opportunity for students to meet each other, to follow lessons in French as well as an introductory course in French civilization and culture, and get information on Paris and life at university.

Student or local community associations

You wish to enjoy your student life to the full, set up a project, and play a part in the student or local community associations?

The Students’ Help Desk facilitates your initiatives. You can benefit from financial help to set up a project or even have your involvement in associative life validated within an optional course, which will be taken into account as part of your university studies!

LIBRARIES

Paris Descartes University houses :

  • a Common Documentation Center made of 11 separate libraries
  • the BIUS Santé , an Inter-University Science Library that comprises two main sites :
    • At the Odéon Center, you will find documents related to the fields of medicine and odontology
    • Avenue de l’Observatoire, you will find documents related to the fields of pharmacy, biology and cosmetology.
  • an online remote access documentation service (ADEL)

MULTIMEDIA

  • Information and Communication Technologies in Education : The ICT Department provides a set of tools and services to support you during your online learning process.
  • The Multimedia Center : It enables publishing, consulting, downloading and podcasting of audio and video educational resources.
  • Les Carnets - Paris Descartes University collective blog : The content of the university social network has been gradually consolidating based on numerous posts from individual and collective blogs.
  • Moodle  : Thanks to this teaching platform teachers and professors can devise a lesson plan and upload courses. It also enables students to have easy access to educational resources and to share knowledge.
  • PDU Software Library : The University Software Library can help you choose from a variety of free-of-charge software products, such as utilities, graphic design, science or office automation software, multimedia players, etc. It also offers access to licensed software products, courtesy of the Department of Education.
  •  iTunes : You can find some of PDU courses and lectures on iTunes U Paris Descartes . 
    • How to find us on iTunes U ?
      • Paris Descartes iTunes U address
      • If you already have an iTunes account, click on iTunes U and find Paris Descartes University in the Les Carnets - PDU collective blog directory.
      • If you don’t have an account, you need to download iTunes U from Apple .
Rene Descartes University (Paris V) on map:
Study programs at :
Local: $ 2.81 k / Year(s)
Foreign: $ 8.64 k / Year(s)
Duration: 24 months
Languages: English
Study mode: On campus
Study type: Full-time
StudyQA ranking: 5276