Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers

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The main entrance.

The Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), or National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, is a doctoral-granting higher education establishment (or grand établissement) operated by the French government dedicated to providing education and conducting research for the promotion of science and industry. It has a large museum of inventions accessible to the public.

It was founded on October 10, 1794, during the French Revolution. It was first proposed by the abbot Henri Grégoire as a "depository for machines, models, tools, drawings, descriptions and books in all the areas of the arts and trades"^[1]. The deserted priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs was selected as the site of collection, which formally opened in 1802.

Originally charged with the collection of inventions, it has since become an educational institution. At the present time, it is known primarily as a continuing education school for adults seeking engineering and business degrees, proposing evening classes in a variety of topics.

The collection of inventions is now operated as the Musée des Arts et Métiers. The original Foucault pendulum was exhibited as part of the collection, but was moved to the Panthéon in 1995.

The novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco deals greatly with this establishment, as the Foucault pendulum that once hung there played a great role in the storyline, as the novel was published in 1989 prior to the pendulum being moved back to the Panthéon.

The Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers is located at 292 rue Saint Martin, in the IIIe arrondissement of Paris, in the historical area of the city named Le Marais.

1 Missions
2 Organization: 4 poles and chains
3 Training
4 References
5 External links
6 See also

[edit] Missions

The Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (Cnam) is a public institution of the State in the scientific, cultural and professional, with the status of "big business". Under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, it has 3 missions:

   * Training throughout life;
   * Technological research and innovation;
   * Dissemination of scientific and technical culture.

It is implemented in more than 150 cities in France and abroad. Cnam's motto is "omnes docet ubique," which means "he teaches to everyone and everywhere."

[edit] Organization: 4 poles and chains

To improve the readability of its service offerings, modernize its management, and promoting the development of cross-actions, Cnam was organized in 4 poles of education and research:

   * Labour Science and Society (STS): Ergonomics, Handicap, Employment Law, Human Relations, Organizations, Psychology of work, Psychoanalysis and orientation, Communication, Sociology, Social Work, Social Protection 
   * Economics and Management (EG): Insurance, Banking, Finance, Logistics, Transport, Tourism, Urban Development, Planning, Local Management, Accounting, Control and Audit, Trade, Marketing, Sales, Purchase, Management and Development of Health Management , Economics and International Trade, Business Law, innovation and foresight 
   * Science and Information Technology and Communications (STIC): Electronics, Automatic, Documentation, Computer Science, Mathematics 
   * Science and Technology Industry (STI): Chemicals, Food, Health and Environment, Materials, Energy, Electrical, Mechanical, acoustics, aerodynamics, Civil Engineering, Building, Geotechnology, Measure

[edit] Training

The Cnam is dedicated to the training throughout life. It gives everyone the means to be trained at any time in his career:

   * 1800 teaching units proposed;
   * 480 diplomas or certificates, bac +2 to +8;
   * 88000 enrolled in the entire network;
   * 1 listener on 10 forms at a distance, thanks to information technology and communication (Tic).

All teachings are formatted CNAM LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorate), organized in a European credits (ECTS = European Credit Transfer System).