Pre-university programme: highlights of summer 2021

This summer, 140 high school students experienced the Summer School around the world as they participated in the 2021 Online Pre-College Programme.

Joining us from 25 countries and representing 29 nationalities, these enthusiastic students spent two intensive weeks learning more about the social sciences and making friends across continents and time zones. The Summer School offered two sessions of the Pre-College programme during the month of July.

Here are some highlights from their summer:

Discovering University Life

Through a combination of Master Classes and tutorials, students delved into Sciences Po’s core subjects, such as international relations and political science through discussions on current events and major world issues. With the interactive guidance of Sciences Po professors and researchers, students were introduced to the higher education methodology and challenged to meet university standards during their final group presentations.

Making Friends around the world

The multicultural classroom environment of the Pre-College Programme expanded ever further this year thanks to the innovative online format of the programme. The students quickly made new friends by coming together through the online social activities organized by the Summer School. After exploring new subjects in class and gaining an understanding of diverse perspectives, the students took the time to get to know each through icebreakers, quizzes and escape games. They also had the chance to virtually visit beloved Parisian landmarks like the Chateau de Versailles, the Opéra Garnier and the Orsay Museum.

Attending master classes and electives

Students attended four Master Classes led by Sciences Po professors and researchers to discuss current issues such as European Contemporary Issues, Human Security, Populism, Sustainable Development and Nuclear Weapons Challenges. Learn more about the 2021 Master Classes and Electives.

They also had the chance to choose one elective course and focus more in depth on a subject of particular interest, such as Foreign Policy and International Relations, International Negotiations and Democracy in Europe. Some students chose electives that allowed them to gain greater awareness of topics such as problem solving, inequalities in social class and rethinking social identities.