Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The National School of Bridges and Roads (ENPC) was founded in 1747 by Daniel-Charles Trudaine as the Royal School of Bridges and Roads to train engineers of the eponymous corps. It was born in the context of the creation of the Corps des ponts et chaussées (1716), responsible for developing the national road network under Louis XV. Originally based in Paris, the school trains its first pupils by self-apprenticeship, supervised by Jean-Rodolphe Perronet, its first director (1747–94). The lessons relate to geometry, mechanics and hydraulics, supplemented by site visits and collaborations with scientists.

After the Revolution, the school temporarily became a national school and then an imperial school under Napoleon, before returning to its current name. In the 19th century, it adapted to industrialisation and the rise of transport (railways, canals), diversifying its teachings (electricity, economy, urban planning). Figures such as Henri Navier, Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis or Augustin Fresnel teach or study there, marking the history of science and civil engineering. A decree of 1851 opened the school to students not from Polytechnique, including foreigners and free listeners.

During the World Wars, the school played an active role: its premises welcomed military organizations in 1914–18, and its students illustrated in the Resistance in 1939–45. After 1945, it internationalises, develops research and multiplies partnerships (ParisTech, Institut Polytechnique de Paris). In 1997, she moved mostly to Champs-sur-Marne (Cité Descartes), while maintaining a Parisian settlement. Its heritage includes a historical library (Lesage fonds) and art collections (busts, paintings).

Today, ENPC trains general engineers, with courses in civil engineering, computer science, finance and management. She awarded degrees in engineering, master's degrees, master's degrees and MBA, in collaboration with institutions such as ParisTech or the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (since 2024). Its international network has 43% of double-diploma students abroad, and its former student association (Ponts Alumni) has more than 13,000 members.

His former students include renowned scientists (Henri Becquerel, Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903; Jean Tirole, Nobel Prize in Economics in 2014), iconic engineers (Eugène Freyssinet, inventor of prestressed concrete; Marc Mimram, architect) and political leaders (Sadi Carnot, President of the Republic; Elizabeth Borne, Prime Minister). The school remains a key player in the formation of French technical and administrative elites.

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