INTERVIEW – X MSC&T students’ internships, a great opportunity for companies – Edwin De Leon

École Polytechnique’s MSc&T programs are directly aligned with the practical needs of companies in the fields of computer science and AI, data science, energy and the environment, finance, and business management.

The courses offered to MSc&T students at École Polytechnique enable them to approach their mandatory second-year internship with not only the most up-to-date knowledge in their field but also a solid understanding of how businesses operate.

Edwin De Leon, a second-year Energy Environment  - Science, Technology and Management (STEEM) MSc&T student, currently doing his internship at Osborne Systems, explains why MSc&T students at École Polytechnique are particularly well-prepared to make their internships a success for both the companies hosting them and their future careers.

Osborne Systems develops a software solution that enables the automation of measurement component design processes in the oil and gas industry.

Nearly three-quarters of graduates from École Polytechnique’s MSc&T program are hired by companies within three months of completing their studies, and many of them by the companies where they completed their second-year internship.

How did the MSC&T program at École Polytechnique prepare you for an internship at a company? 

Edwin De Leon -  MSc&T program at École Polytechnique serves as a strategic gateway to European and French industry, prioritizing immediate workforce readiness through its unique structure of two six-month internships and two six-months courses term. This intensive practical focus, combined with rigorous scientific training, allowed me to tackle complex technical challenges from day one; whcih is one of the main reasons I decided to study the MScT.  

For instance, my STEEM coursework enabled me to immediately add value as an R&D Engineer intern in my second-year internship at Osborne Systems by using Python to analyze CO2-rich experimental streams and compare them against various Equations of State models. The program's emphasis on managing vast datasets through projects involving photovoltaic and wind data gave me the technical maturity to handle complex industrial data with precision. 

Beyond technical expertise, the program’s multicultural environment fosters the cross-cultural agility necessary to deliver results in today's global market. I successfully applied these communication skills during my first-year internship at Pronoe as Mechanical Engineer and 3D CAD Modeler, where collaborating within a highly diverse team proved essential to our collective success.

What are the benefits for a company of hiring an intern of the MSc&T program at École Polytechnique? 

Edwin De Leon - Hiring an MSc&T intern from École Polytechnique provides companies with a professional who is immediately operational and possesses a sophisticated understanding of corporate, research and industry expectations, students that are part of this program are elite students that come from all around the world. Because the program is taught fully in English within an international cohort, we bring a global mindset that is essential for navigating modern diverse world. 

Furthermore, our ability to translate high-level scientific theory into tangible business or industry results means we can tackle complex projects with minimal onboarding or guidance ; for instance, my transition from analyzing renewable energy datasets in class to modeling CO2-rich streams at Osborne Systems demonstrates the technical maturity and adaptability that allow me to deliver high-impact results from day one.

Two-thirds of the students in the MSc&T program at École Polytechnique are international students. What are the benefits for companies that hire international interns?

Edwin De Leon - Hiring international interns from the MSc&T program provides companies with a powerful competitive edge by merging global perspectives with world-class technical rigor. 

As top-tier graduates in Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics from our home institutions, we undergo an intensive Master’s at "l’X", France’s most prestigious, historical and challenging scientific academic track, consistently meeting and even surpassing its demanding benchmarks.

While two-thirds of our cohort are international, we are deeply integrated into the local ecosystem, with 80% of us choosing to launch our careers in France. This unique demographic offers companies culturally agile talent capable of bridging the gap between local operations and global ambitions. In a world where homogeneity can limit development, an MSc&T student brings the diversity of thought essential for advancement. 

During my time at Pronoe (first internship), for example, working within a diverse team allowed us to tackle Engineering challenges on designing and creating maintenance Alkalinization demo plant for CO2 capture, through multiple cultural and engineering lenses, resulting in more robust and creative engineering solutions. 

Last but not least, we are used to work in English while navigating the specificities of French industry and international standards, we serve as "cultural and engineering translators" who can seamlessly represent French excellence on the international stage.