Pantheon-Assas Paris II University

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University of Paris II

Paris II Logo
Panthéon-Assas
'

Established 1970, following the division of the University of Paris (1253)
School type Public (state run)
President Louis Vogel
Location Paris
Campus City
Homepage www.u-paris2.fr

The Pantheon-Assas Paris II University (Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II), also known as "Paris deux" or "Assas" after the rue d'Assas where its biggest campus is located, is one of the 13 universities descended from the University of Paris. The majority of its students study Law but the university also teaches Business Administration, Economics, Administration, Social and Political Science.

Assas is a founding member of the Paris Universitas[1] alliance (PRES), a union of 6 Parisian universities. The purpose of Paris Universitas is to eventually create a single university offering all subjects.

Contents

[edit] About Assas

Assas is a consequence of the break-up of the University of Paris in 1968. Professors at the University of Paris were broadly divided into two factions. The first faction was in favour of maintaining the original Paris Faculties (of Law and Economics, Humanities, etc.). The second faction wanted to create a great generalist university divided in independent small specialised "units of fundamental knowledge". The first faction founded the universities of Paris II Pantheon-Assas (based on the former Pantheon Faculty of Law and Economics) and of Paris IV Paris-Sorbonne (based on the former Sorbonne Faculty of Humanities). The second faction founded Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. The split at the Pantheon was nearly even: all the law professors save one went to Paris II, while all the professors of economics save one chose Paris I. To this day, both universities occupy the evenly divided Pantheon building.

This history is reflected today by Assas's focus on law, with a secondary focus on economics.

All of France's universities are as mainstream as possible, the only thing necessary to enter being a baccalauréat and the marginal admission fee. Universities are required by law to admit anyone who meets the aforementioned conditions. However, Assas puts strain on the students from the start and the first year drop-out rate consistently hovers in the 60-70% region;[1] the failure rate for subsequent years is also high.

[edit] Campus

As most universities in Paris, Assas takes its formal name Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) from the places where it is located.

The administration offices and postgraduate studies are located in a building which is in the plaza that rings the Parisian landmark of the Panthéon. The Panthéon is in the Latin Quarter of Paris where many universities used to be located: it is only a few blocks away from the original Sorbonne, the Collège de France and X's former campus. Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) shares this spot with Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and they both administer the Cujas Law and Economics Library, which is the largest of its kind in France.

The relatively small but recently refitted Vaugirard campus, in the rue de Vaugirard, is the campus where the freshman studies take place.

The school's main campus is a huge 70's architecture building in the rue d'Assas. Its gigantic entrance hall leads to the main amphitheater, which can seat 1,700, where concerts are sometimes held. The building also has over a dozen other amphitheaters of all sizes, countless classrooms and labs, etc. This is also where the student associations are located. Paradoxically the student library at the Assas campus is relatively smaller than the ones at Vaugirard or the Panthéon.

There is another campus located in Melun in the south east of Paris.

The Cujas Library, co-administered with Paris I, with its computerised documentation service, provides access to over 500 data banks and is the largest law and economics library in France.

[edit] Students and alumni

There is a large minority of foreign exchange students. Conversely, Assas encourages its students to spend at least a semester in a foreign university, especially other universities in the European Union, through the Socrates and Erasmus student exchange programmes. It also has a few highly selective graduate programs with Ivy League schools and other reputed universities in the United States of America and in Canada; as well as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, University College London and Université de Fribourg; there are similar programs for universities all over the world.

Politicians

Journalists

Others

  • Tabatha Cash
  • Séverine Ferrer
  • Arno Klarsfeld
  • Anne Méaux
  • Alexandre Najjar
  • Philippe Risoli
  • Jean-Marc Rouvière
  • Sim
  • Ludwik Sobolewski, head of the Warsaw Stock Exchange

Professors

[edit] Rankings

Assas Rankings/Ratings
Ranking 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
French Ministry of Education (rating)[2] A+x10; Ax2
French Ministry of Education (investments in research)[3] 1
SMBG Droit des Affaires [4] 1 1 1 1 1
SMBG Droit Social [5] 1 1 1 1 1
SMBG Fiscalite [6] 1 3 1 1
SMBG Banque Finance [7] 6 3 3
SMBG Ingénierie Financière de Haut de Bilan [8] 7
SMBG Management General de l'Organisation[9] 10 5
Communication [10] 1 1 7 3
ENM (number of students admitted) [11] 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Le Nouvel Observateur (law only)[12] 1
Legalease [13] (law only) 1 1

[edit] Trivia

Concerts are sometimes held in the great amphiteatre. Jimi Hendrix performed there in 1967.

The Cairo Airport scene in OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies was filmed inside the main building rue d'Assas.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Sources

Coordinates: 48°50′49″N 2°20′41″E / 48.84694, 2.34472