Support l'X Visit of a ministerial delegation from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
The visit coincided with the tenth anniversary of the partnership between École Polytechnique and the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB) and was part of the ongoing strong academic and scientific cooperation between these two institutions.
Welcomed by Laura Chaubard, President of École Polytechnique, and several members of the institution’s management team, the delegation was led by Professor Toka Arsène Kobea, Chief of Staff to the Ivorian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, accompanied by the Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Debt Reduction and Development Contract (C2D), Ms. Léa Djatti, and the Minister's Technical Advisor, Mr. Mohammadou Merawa.
The visit offered them the opportunity to present the third phase of the C2D project, called ADESTRI, which focuses on strengthening high-level scientific training programs in public universities and Grandes Écoles in the Ivory Coast. The discussions, which also included Mr. Moussa Diaby, Director General of INP-HB, focused on the various areas of cooperation, emphasizing scientific rigor, excellence, and talent mobility.
INP-HB – A leading academic and scientific institution in Africa
Ranked 2nd among French-speaking universities in Africa according to the Top University Rank 2025*, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB) is a higher education and research institution located in Yamoussoukro. With a strong regional presence in West Africa, INP-HB’s preparatory classes welcome Ivorian students as well as candidates from several West African countries each year.
The institution’s culture of excellence, combined with its deep roots in the local and regional economic and social fabric, gives INP-HB a major role in academic, scientific, and societal development. The collaboration with École Polytechnique contributes to this dynamic and represents a strategic alliance, which INP-HB’s Director General, Moussa Diaby, has described as essential for building the scientific and technological future of Côte d’Ivoire.
Kobena Achim Dongo (X24) is one of the Ivorian students with whom the representatives of the ministerial delegation spoke during their visit. His motivation to join École Polytechnique was sparked when he learned that it was “the best engineering school in France and that it was possible to join from Côte d'Ivoire by taking preparatory classes”, he recalls. “The prestige of the school made me want to challenge myself ”, explains Kobena Achim Dongo, who enrolled in preparatory classes at INP-HB after completing a scientific baccalaureate at the École Militaire Préparatoire Technique de Bingerville (EMPT) in Abidjan.
Currently studying in the second year the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program, Kobena Dongo says he has settled in very well at l’X “also thanks to the many events organized by the school's student associations”. Highly committed, Kobena Achim Dongo has “even joined ASK (the Social Action Committee of the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program’s student union)”, a student association dedicated to social initiatives, where he is responsible for tutoring activities.
Ten Years of Partnership
The partnership has helped strengthen the preparatory classes of the Ivorian partner institution, and the results of this momentum are already visible: between 2016 and 2025, 58 Ivorian students passed the entrance exams to École Polytechnique, including 43 from INP-HB.
Every year, one or two École Polytechnique students complete their formation humaine (civil and social engagement training) during the first year of the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program at the Ivorian partner institution. During a six-months period, they are fully involved in teaching activities at INP-HB, notably supervising tutorial sessions in the science classes and contributing to the preparation of courses for the advanced mathematics and physics track.
The Data Science Institute, created in 2017 as part of the collaboration between l’X, INP-HB, the National School of Statistics and Applied Economics in Abidjan, and several private partners, aims to accelerate the development of data management skills in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa. It offers a Master's level program in the fields of data science and cybersecurity.
In 2021, the two institutions launched a Specialized Master's Degree in Renewable Energy, designed to train high-level executives in a strategic sector for Côte d'Ivoire.
Furthermore, INP-HB hosts the examination center for the entrance exam for the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program - International French-speaking section.
Several projects to strengthen the long-term partnership
Building on the results of the solid partnership developed over recent years, the partners spoke about future developments and the expansion of their areas of intervention. The new Debt Reduction and Development Contract could, in particular, support the training of teachers for preparatory classes in Côte d'Ivoire, the creation and implementation of high-level scientific degree programs, and the intensification of research collaborations, particularly in the field of renewable energy. The delegation’s visit provided a better understanding of the project and its challenges, while opening up concrete avenues for École Polytechnique's contribution.
* Published by Research Analytics International, the Top University Ranking classifies about 150 African institutions according to three main criteria: teaching quality, research output, and societal impact.