These movements raise at least two questions

Engaged in a series of reforms, pushed by the crisis and globalization, "ecosystem" of French higher education faces a very busy agenda. Overview of the major challenges it will face in the coming months.

This is the number one site: higher education is the corner of globalization. The competition is now played across the planet for universities and schools the most ambitious. Even those whose national or local scope must integrate the international dimension in their curriculum. With the issues, to allow tens of millions of young people, particularly in emerging countries, access to higher education. For institutions, several strategies are possible: implementation of campus abroad (EM Lyon in Shanghai, Beijing, Dauphine in Tunis... plant), home of international students programs "offshore" developed with a local partner... For their part, students can build their educational journey by choosing their programs around the world. It is a considerable change.

Some countries have implemented an offensive strategy to attract students. This is the case of the United States, the Australia, the New Zealand, or Quebec. Other actors, such as China or even the Qatar engage in global competition. The France, in this area, barely valuing its assets.

Rest international raises formidable problems for institutions: need them to have appropriate infrastructure, able to teach in English, faculty and budgets...

Everywhere in Europe, the issue of the cost of studies, and therefore of the financing of higher education, is posed - often in pain and agitation. A more acute problem that costs explode (salary costs on the rise, growing needs related to technologies...). And that States (and the Chambers of commerce and industry) are seeking to reduce their financial commitments.

France, the situation is for the less heterogeneous: in universities, students pay only a few hundred euros per year. others, for example in the "business schools", pay tuition costs (from 7,000 to 8,000 euros per year); some (at Polytechnique, normal overtime..) are even paid during their studies. And if everyone has turned to the "fundraising", it can only provide an extra resource. For the large loan, it is not enough to really change the equation for universities.

It has become a requirement of the company: higher education must allow young people from all backgrounds and from all walks of life. For several years, significant progress been made in this area, particularly in schools ("Success Cordées", operation "A large school, why not me")...). "Today, no student is deprived of access to our schools for financial reasons, said Pierre Tapie, President of the Conference of the grandes écoles.". It must be that it knows. "But probably not enough yet: expected many of the schools on this topic, because they are a reference in the popular imagination. The universities have also progrèsà achieve in social opening. Is that the problem is probably more complex than it seems. "In reality, the barriers are often more cultural than financial", observes Chantal Dardelet, in charge of the subject at the Conference of the grandes écoles.

Higher education and the business community must increasingly work hand in hand: the finding is now shared by (almost) all the actors of-y teaching in universities. It remains to invent new relationships, more in-depth, between these two worlds: to set up chairs, to associate companies pilot programs and even the strategy of the institutions. Leaving to them the keys to the training. These new forms of collaboration - such as the poles of research and higher education (PRES) - will help schools and universities to better meet the needs of skills companies. But also to help them find new ideas, to evolve their products and even their management.

Time is now to the assessment of education provided by schools and universities. But how to proceed What tools, what criteria to use Accreditation The rankings The size of the Faculty The selection at the entrance The placement of graduates Their salary to hire What is certain, is that research, the reputation of teachers, their publications are increasingly heavier in the balance. "We are witnessing an arms research race", observes Stéphan Bourcieu, Director General of the ESC Dijon-Bourgogne. Where the need for a force of significant financial firepower to recruit teachers.

Some also fear that there is a gap between "research" institutions, contained in good place in the rankings international, and more "professional" provision

Great campus, PRES, reconciliations: French higher education is engaged in a broad movement of concentration and alliances. Already, several mergers took place-l'ESC Lille and the Ceram gave birth to Skéma, Ensta and the Prytanée come from merge. Objective: to promote synergies, the exchange between teachers-researchers, cooperation between businesses and laboratories, the crossing of disciplines. These movements raise at least two questions. How fly these new sets, which can weigh several tens of thousands of students Then, given what is a modern, adapted to the new campus global On the question of the relationship between schools and universities, it finally appears to belong to the past.

More possible today to "exist" in an increasingly competitive marketplace, without an active policy of communication. For institutions, the time is to branding and differentiation. "Communication has become a major issue for schools and universities." "But the French institutions are still far behind this point their counterparts across the Atlantic or even Asia, spend considerable resources", note Brigitte Fournier, CEO of the Agency black on white - which has also published a few months ago a white paper on this subject.