SaclAI-School: Training in Artificial Intelligence for all
SaclAI-School won the National Call for Expressions of Interest CMA ("Compétences et Metier d'Avenir") launched by ANR in December 2021 and received 11.4M€ of funding for a 5-year program. This training program is led by Frédéric Pascal (L2S), Director of the DATAIA Institute, and Sarah Cohen-Boulakia (LISN), Deputy Director of the Institute in charge of training.
The program is based on a unique ecosystem: the leading AI ecosystem in France comprising three universities (Université Paris-Saclay, Université d’Évry, Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines), three Grandes Écoles (CentraleSupélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech), as well as CEA, Inria, and INRAE. These partners are complemented by CentraleSupélec Exed, a continuing education organization, and FMJH, an excellence foundation promoting mathematics and their interactions.
The objectives of this training program are structured around four main axes:
Develop an AI training program on the Saclay Plateau: establish a long-term presence and provide a comprehensive and attractive training offer for students and professionals within the DATAIA ecosystem.
Expand AI and data science training: address societal challenges related to AI by training diverse audiences at various skill levels, from general awareness to expertise in AI.
Connect AI training stakeholders: create an innovative framework for AI training that leverages the diverse skills of academic and industrial worlds and the complementary pedagogical practices of Universities and Grandes Écoles.
Support learners through modular continuing education: enhance AI skills throughout professional life and/or enable career shifts towards AI professions.
Contributions
Note: names in italics are members of LISN.
Development of new Master/Bachelor tracks
SaclAI-School has opened:
4 Master’s programs (M1-M2): Internet of Things (head: Dominique Quadri, Steven Martin); Mathematics & Artificial Intelligence; Statistical Engineering, Actuarial Science & Data Science; Mathematics & Statistical Learning;
2 international programs at CentraleSupélec: the AIDAMS Bachelor's in partnership with ESSEC (4 years) and the Master of Science MSc AI (1 year);
2 tracks of the MVA Master’s in Mathematics, Vision, Learning: MVA Engineering and Industry, MVA Reproducibility;
a CPES (Preparatory Cycle for Higher Education) program with the Lycée International de Palaiseau Paris Saclay, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, and HEC.
a doctoral program in AI (15 new modules)
Development of new teaching modules
Discovery of IA for beginners (L1) with the start-up learning Robots (https://learningrobots.ai/) Coordination: Nicolas Thiery
Various project-based modules, where real data is used (data challenges, https://www.dataia.eu/en/node/840)
Development of the SPOC responsible research for PhD students, 8 short lessons - Organized by Emmanuelle Frénoux and Anne-Laure Ligozat
50 associated professors have been recruited to teach such modules.
29 belong to Inria/CNRS/Inrae/CEA and the rest come from the business world. Attached professors have 58h of teaching duty. LISN researchers Caroline Appert and Wendy Mackay have been recruited.
Providing support to students
MixtAI program: SaclAI-School provides 50 annual excellence scholarships promoting diversity and gender equality for Bachelor’s and Master’s students. Alain Denise is the head of the selection committee for the scholaarships.
TutorAI program: peer tutoring by and for Bachelor’s and Master’s students in Computer science and Mathematics. Nicolas Thiery is in charge of the coordination of tutoring for the Bachelor level.
Developing platforms
Three platforms are being developed at SaclAI-School:
- RecrutIA to help HR recruit 100+ tutors yearly;
- TutorAI to help tutees and tutors organize tutoring sessions;
- JupyterLab to facilitate learning programming in Python. Nicolas Thiery is in charge of the development of this platform.
Impact
So far, the SaclAI-School program has achieved the following results:
- 1,200 students are trained annually in AI at the BAC+3, 4, 5, 8 levels
- 550 students receive introductory AI training during their studies annually
- 50 MixtAI Scholarships are provided annually
- 40 to 60 tutors are hired annually