At  the pinnacle of French scientific excellence, ENS is a prestigious  teaching and research institution. Amongst its alumni are 12 Nobel Prize  laureates, 10 French recipients of the Fields Medal and half of CNRS  Gold Medal winners.
 Since its foundation in 1794, renowned  intellectuals such as Évariste Galois, Louis Pasteur, Simone Weil, Paul  Sabatier, Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes,  Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Aimé Césaire or Serge Haroche have  studied or taught at ENS. The École is the highest-rated French  institution in international university rankings.
 
 Resolutely  intent on extending its international appeal, ENS selects foreign  students every year, who enrol in the courses taught at the school.  Alongside available exchange programmes and on the basis of a  competitive entrance exam, the International Selection recruits  outstanding candidates who are eager to be involved in a research-based  academic curriculum. 
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