To provide guidance and support for enhancing the educational quality and future development of Zhongfa Aviation Institute of Beihang University (ZFAI), two officials from IGÉSR, Jean Aristide Cavaillès, head of the Physics-Chemistry Group, and Claudine Picaronny, General Inspector of Mathematics, arrived at Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University on May 23 for a field visit. They were received by Frédéric GENTY, the French Dean of ZFAI; Zhang Wei, Vice Director of Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University (H3I); and Chen Chao, Director of the International Cooperation Office.
In the morning, the delegation had a seminar with Frédéric GENTY, Zhang Wei, and Chen Chao. The two parties engaged in an enthusiastic discussion on ZFAI's positioning, current development, and future planning, laying a foundation for further cooperation and development.
Prior to the seminar, the delegation delved into the front lines of teaching to observe lessons taught by French faculty members, including Pierre Tognetti, Vincent Vong, Rémy N'Guyen, and Sion Chan-Lang. In class, the French faculty showcased the teaching content of physics, mathematics, and other core courses while revealing the unique advantages of delivering professional courses in French through case-based teaching and interactive experiments. These lessons demonstrated the solid teaching foundation and unique style of the institute's French faculty members.
During the visit, the delegation had face-to-face communication with ZFAI's French faculty and staff members, gathering their field-specific feelings and insights. During the thematic workshop, the two parties explored the feasibility of interdisciplinary cooperation plans, exchanged and shared solutions to problems and challenges encountered in curriculum integration, and discussed ways to improve the methodology and quality of teaching.
The delegation also visited the Industrial Science Laboratory and the Physical Chemistry Laboratory, where they received comprehensive briefings on the institute's laboratory infrastructure, research equipment portfolio, and innovative research initiatives. The visitors highly praised ZFAI's investment and advancement in scientific research. Mr. Cavaillès said: “These facilities and equipment not only reflect ZFAI's emphasis on scientific research practice, but also demonstrate the potential for Sino-French technology collaboration. Moving forward, ZFAI can explore ways to transform laboratory findings into teaching cases, thereby enriching the content of innovative courses.”
Building on the quality supervision system from France, ZFAI is committed to establishing a full-process quality monitoring and control mechanism covering curriculum design, teaching delivery, and performance evaluation. Through this visit, the delegation gained a comprehensive understanding of the teaching practice at ZFAI and the progress of Sino-French cooperative education. The delegation provided professional opinions on teaching plans, the number of courses, and syllabi for mathematics and physics. Their insights will help ZFAI align key indicators such as curriculum systems, faculty qualifications, and academic evaluation with universities in France, ensure synchronized levels and development pace of teaching quality assurance systems between China and France, and provide robust support for ZFAI's long-term development.
Looking into the future, ZFAI will uphold the fine traditions of Sino-French cooperation, deeply explore and make innovations to educational and teaching models through intellectual exchanges at interdisciplinary teaching seminars, and strive to enhance its overall strength and international influence, thereby propelling Sino-French educational collaboration to broader horizons.
About IGÉSR
Jointly governed by the French Ministry of National Education, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the French Ministry of Sports, IGÉSR (Inspection générale de l'Éducation, du Sport et de la Recherche) is responsible for disciplinary evaluation, expert review, supervision and support, performing dual functions of policy consultation and supervision over execution.
English Approved by Dong Zhuoning, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran
Edited by Yuan Xiaohui
