pp. 301-326

Traditionally a clearly defined professional group with its characteristic ideals, French engineers today are having to face a series of changes. Is it just another stage of the training system reforms for engineers, making the « Grande école » even more of a reference than it was previously ? Or, is it a proof of deeper changes within the professional group ? It is probably too early yet to be able to know which of these hypotheses stands but it is both useful and possible to define the present day situation by outlining the main characteristics of the French engineer model and positioning this model alongside those of other industrialised countries.