Social diversity

The ‘INSA Model’: a social component that promotes diversity

• The democratisation of engineering schools: INSA seeks to consider the quantitative need for engineers to be trained from the 1950s onwards and the qualitative aspect of training within a new intellectual and educational framework. In INSA’s early days, it was even possible for students without a Baccalauréat to apply.
• Recruitment without a competitive exam: the recruitment process is a criticism of a system based on competitive exams. Through interviews and examination of school records, the aim is to encourage a fresh approach and mental agility.
• Campus life: housing (organised on a ‘family’ basis), catering and library services, as well as societies and cultural activities, help to immerse engineering students in an education with a human and social component.

A current issue at the heart of the activities of the Institut Gaston Berger

Widening participation

In 2016-2017, 26% of first-year students at INSA Lyon are in receipt of a scholarship (compared to 33% in 2012-2013). A key issue common to all higher education institutions is to guarantee access to their courses for all students, regardless of their socio-cultural and geographical background. INSA Lyon has been involved in the national Cordées de la réussite (‘Roped together for success’) programme since 2009. Through the Institut Gaston Berger, it is supporting a programme of activities aimed at students from partner secondary schools, the local education authorities of Lyon and Dijon, and several French overseas departments and territories. In 2016-2017, Parcours d'excellence (‘Excellence programmes’) will be able to target lower secondary school students by offering group projects to third-year students.

Our widening participation objectives are as follows:

• To encourage secondary school students in receipt of scholarships and students from modest backgrounds or remote areas to consider higher education, especially scientific and technical subjects.
• To offer new incentive programmes as part of national widening participation schemes to classes from the third year of secondary school, in schools classified as REP+ (Reinforced Priority Education Network), to the final year.
• To study in greater detail, at the INSA Group level, the types of applications, the guidance systems in different areas and the effects of INSA's admission procedures on the socio-cultural profiles of the students recruited. Collection and comparative analysis of INSA and national data is therefore essential. This work is carried out in partnership with the INSA Group and the INSA Group Admissions Department (SAGI).
• To set up a scholarship scheme at the INSA Group level, in line with the policy pursued and the financial aid offered by INSA Lyon with the support of the INSA Lyon Foundation.