Coat of arms of the Collège de France, given by Louis XIV with letters patent in 1699
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Latin: Collegium Franciæ Regium | |
Former names
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Collège Royal |
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Motto | Docet omnia (Latin) |
Motto in English
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Teaches all |
Type | Public |
Established | 1530 (royal charter) |
Founder | Francis I of France |
Administrator | Alain Prochiantz |
Academic staff
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47 chairs (2016) |
Location |
Paris, France Coordinates: 48°50′57″N 002°20′44″E / 48.84917°N 2.34556°E |
Campus | Urban |
Website | www |
The Collège de France (French pronunciation: [kɔlɛʒ də fʁɑ̃s]), founded in 1530, is a renowned higher education and research establishment (grand établissement) in France. It is located in Paris, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne.
The Collège is considered to be France's most prestigious research university. It does not grant degrees. Each professor is required to give lectures where attendance is free and open to anyone. Professors, about 50 in number, are chosen by the professors themselves, from a variety of disciplines, in both science and the humanities. The motto of the Collège is Docet Omnia, Latin for "It teaches everything"; its goal is to "teach science in the making" and can be best summed up by Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phrase: "Not acquired truths, but the idea of a free research" which is inscribed in golden letters above the main hall.
The Collège has research laboratories and one of the best research libraries of Europe, with sections focusing on history with rare books, humanities, social sciences and also chemistry and physics.
As of June 2009, over 650 audio podcasts of Collège de France lectures are available on iTunes. Some are also available in English and Chinese. Similarly, the Collège de France's website hosts several videos of classes. The classes are followed by various students, from senior researchers to PhD or master students, or even bachelor students. Moreover, the "leçons inaugurales" (first lesson) are important events in Paris intellectual and social life and attract a very large public of curious Parisians.