SaclAI-School

The DATAIA Institute runs the SaclAI-School training program at the Paris-Saclay University, which aims to train everyone in Artificial Intelligence, from AI acculturation to Artificial Intelligence expertise.
SaclAI-School

 


 

Winner of the National Call for Expressions of Interest CMA (Compétences et Métiers d'Avenir) launched by the ANR in December 2021, this training program is led by Frédéric Pascal, Director of the DATAIA Institute, and Sarah Cohen-Boulakia, Deputy Director of the Institute in charge of training. The program draws on a unique ecosystem - France's leading AI ecosystem - comprising 3 universities (Paris-Saclay University, Université d'Évry, Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines), 3 Grandes Écoles (CentraleSupélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech) and also the CEA, Inria and INRAE. These partners are complemented by CentraleSupélec Exed, a continuing education organization, and the FMJH (Fondation Mathématiques Jacques Hadamard), a foundation of excellence promoting mathematics and its interactions.

 

The objectives of this training program are articulated around 4 axes:

 

  1. Develop a training offer of excellence in AI on Saclay: establish long-term roots and provide a comprehensive and attractive training offer for students and professionals, on the scale of the DATAIA Institute ecosystem;

  2. Massify training in AI and data science: respond to societal challenges around AI by training diverse audiences at different skill levels, from acculturation to expertise in AI;

  3. Connect players in AI training: building an innovative framework for AI training, exploiting the diversity of skills in the academic and industrial worlds and the complementary pedagogical practices of Universities and Grandes Écoles;

  4. Supporting learners through modular continuing education: increasing the level of AI skills throughout professional life and/or enabling reorientation towards AI professions.

 

SaclAI-School in figures:

 

  • 1,200 students are trained in AI at BAC+3,4,5

  • 1 300 students receive training in AI acculturation during their studies

  • 67 courses from BAC+1 to BAC+5, including 37 Master's courses

  • 46 research laboratories integrated into the DATAIA Institute, representing over 800 permanent staff (researchers, teacher-researchers and research engineers)

  • 700 Bac+5 diplomas awarded each year

  • 100 MixtAI scholarships awarded

  • 50 attached professors

  • 38 tutors in the 2023-2024 academic year

 

To achieve these objectives, SaclAI-School recruits new teachers (from among researchers and industrialists) through a unified, inter-institutional program of attached professors, common to both Universities and Grandes Écoles. The innovative nature of this training program is reflected in the development of several pedagogical tools, used by other University entities and made available to students and professionals: TutorIA, a peer tutoring system, in conjunction with eCampus, which helps organize tutoring sessions for students (tutors and mentees) in the Mathematics and Computer Science streams, and ContractIA, dedicated to the HR management of tutors involved in the project. SaclAI-School has also enabled the opening of new courses, some of which are taught at the Paris-Saclay University:

 

4 M1-M2 Master's courses: Internet of Things; Mathematics & Artificial Intelligence; Statistical Engineering, Actuarial Science & Data Science; Mathematics & Statistical Learning;

2 international courses at CentraleSupélec: the Bachelor AIDAMS in partnership with ESSEC (4 years) and the Master of Sciences MSc AI (1 year) ;

■ 2 tracks of the Master MVA (Mathématiques, Vision, Apprentissage): MVA Ingénierie et Industrie, MVA Reproductibilité ;

Doctoral training in artificial intelligence, for PhD students doing their thesis work in non-IA disciplines (physics, chemistry, medicine, ...), provided by recruiting professors, with 15 training modules created and operated by the Graduate School Sciences de l'Ingénierie et des Systèmes (SIS);

■ A CPES (Cycle préparatoire d'études supérieures) training program with the Lycée International de Palaiseau Paris-Saclay, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris and HEC ;

■ A specialized Master's degree: “Trusted AI” with IRT SystemX and CentraleSupélec EXED, launched in April 2024 ;

■ A Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence with CentraleSupélec;

Several MOOCs (Bachelor's/Master's/Doctorate levels), all disciplines combined: AI concepts/AI ecological issues and AI intellectual property.

 

Press release (October 2022, vFR)
Graphic assets
Article (newspaper L'Edition - Scientific revue of Paris-Saclay University)