Goodbye, Mr Clément

The International School of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, where "ITER children" account for half of the total enrolment, owes a lot to Jean-Paul Clément. As head of this unique institution—a school that is part of the French public educational system but provides classes in ten different languages—Director Clément had to manage a project that appeared at times as complex and challenging as ITER itself.

Establishing an international school close to Cadarache was part of the French commitment to ITER. Pending the construction of the facility, the International School opened in September 2007 in temporary accommodations in a nearby lycée and eventually moved onto its own beautifully designed campus two years later.

 

As construction was progressing, it was the Director's responsibility to establish a curriculum compatible with both the stringent requirements of the French educational system and the demands of the Education ministries of the ITER Members. No simple task ...

 

Director Clément's mandate has now come to an end. On Thursday, a ceremony was organized at the International School in Manosque to bid him farewell and wish him all the success in his future endeavours.

In his address to Mr Clement, which he chose to pronounce in French, ITER Director-General Osamu Motojima stressed the importance of the International School for the ITER Project. "ITER needs to gather talent from all over the world. The existence of the International School is an important factor in the acceptance decision for those with families and school-age children."

 

Jean-Paul Clément is leaving the International School of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur for a mission in Laos for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.