42 (school)
42 | |
| Motto | Born2Code |
|---|---|
| Type | Private school of computer programming, Tuition is free |
| Established | 2013 |
| Chancellor | Xavier Niel |
| President | Nicolas Sadirac |
| Vice-president | Florian Bucher, Kwame Yamgnane |
| Location | , 48°53′47″N 2°19′07″E / 48.896324°N 2.31855°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www |
42 is a private French computer programming school created and funded by Xavier Niel (Founder of Illiad) with several partners including Nicolas Sadirac (previous General Director of Epitech),[1] Kwame Yamgnane and Florian Bucher (previous executives of Epitech).[2]
The training is inspired by new modern ways to teach which include peer-to-peer pedagogy. Students will not receive any official engineer's degree. The school is known to bet on advanced knowledge and skill in computer programming and novel ways of thinking. 42’s name is a reference to the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy created by Douglas Adams: 42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
History
Announced on 26 March 2013, 42 opened its doors on 15 July 2013 for the selection phase called La Piscine (the swimming-pool). Students who passed the first 'Piscines' were able to start the training which began in November 2013.
In an Editorial,[3] Xavier Niel introduced 42, linking the need for it to the catastrophic situation of French Education.
Today, the French system doesn't work. It is stuck between the first place University, which provides training that is not fitting with what the business world needs but is free and accessible to the largest number. Public schools on the other hand are highly selective and admit only people with scientific or techno-logic training/experience and finally Private schools are expensive and have a qualitative formation but do not encourage a number of different talents.
Campus
42 is located at 96 Boulevard Bessières, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.[4] The building was acquired from the State in 2011 for 12.6 million euros.[5] The building extends over an area of 4242 square meters. Pictures of the school architecture are visible on the official website. 42 was designed by In&Edit Architecture agency.[6]
Organization and administration
There are no school fees: running costs for the 10 first years (estimated at 20 to 50 million euros) have been personally funded by Xavier Niel.[7] 42 will train each year one thousand students between 18 and 30 years old, without any degree requirement but on the basis of psychometrical tests on the school’s website which are supposed to evaluate their ability to learn computer programming. One month of evaluation and practical works called La Piscine allows the final selection each year: the amount of work during that time is both important and substantial, and can amount to 100+ hours per week.[8] The school isn’t accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
Academics
After La Piscine, training lasts at least three years, and will cover the different I.T. jobs linked to development.
The first year is mainly focused on the Unix development environment with the C-language. These software developments are planned through 40 projects such as the implementation of a basic First-person shooter engine, an engine for an online game and a 3D rendering engine (rasterizer) by ray tracing. The second semester begins with a piscine of object-oriented PHP, and then introduces a module framework with the realization of a large web project, where the choice of programming language is free.
The second year introduces the C++ through a dedicated Piscine (swimming-pool), and other languages such as SQL, Java and C#. According to a promotional document about the school program, learning software development is planned through the realization of an arcade game, artificial intelligence or a computer virus. Students must work on a personal project which is validated by educational advisers and lasts five months.
The third year brings additional knowledge with mobile technologies, networks, video game programming and its mechanisms, or I.T. security.
References
- ^ Camille Gévaudan (2013). ""42", v'là les geeks !". http://www.ecrans.fr/ (in French).
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ Damien Leloup (2013). ""42", l'étrange école d'informatique de Xavier Niel". http://lemonde.fr/ (in French).
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ "L'édito de Xavier Niel". http://www.42.fr/ (in French). 2013.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ Olivier Viaggi (2013). "Les locaux ultra design de l'école 42 de Xavier Niel". http://www.universfreebox.com/ (in French).
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ "Les 10 immeubles les plus chers vendus par l'État en 2011". http://www.challenges.fr/ (in French). 2012. p. 7.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ "École 42" (in French).
- ^ Jacques Cheminat et Serge Leblal (2013). "Free ouvre l'école 42 pour former au numérique". http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/ (in French).
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ Dylan Tweney (2014). "This French tech school has no teachers, no books, no tuition — and it could change everything". http://venturebeat.com.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=