Purpan: a history unfolded, a set of values

In 1919, a group of farmers of the Toulouse region founded the school and handed over the management to the Jesuits. Later on, the school became the Catholic Institute's partner. Ever since its very beginnings, the school has lived in great proximity with the agricultural world, which has furthered its development and the technical and human training of its members and executives.

During the last fifty years, the school has developed a network of initiatives and firms, confirming in the process its willing investment in the following areas:
- Farmers training, with the C.E.M.A (Agricultural circle of exchange)
- Earth and food products analysis, with LARA EUROPE ANALYSE (Lara Europe Analysis)
- Management, with the LIEF (Information Systems and Financial Economy Laboratory)
- Research, with the Agro Physiology Laboratory, which has turned into a mixed research unit which includes the INRA (National Research Institute) and Remote Sensing & Territorial Management Laboratory.

INTERNATIONAL

In the last fifteen years, particular effort to invest in International Relations has enabled the entire number of our pupils to gain international experience abroad for a period of at least 3 months. Furthermore, 70% of the students spend 6 extra months studying one semester in a foreign university. This has enabled an important network of international partners to be woven. Purpan signed four "double degrees" agreements with major universities in the US and the Netherlands , partnership agreements with another fifty universities, in more than thirty different countries. Purpan strives for international cooperation by providing these international experiences for students and lecturers alike, because part of the school's mission is to prepare future engineers for a global, planetary vision of the agricultural, agro-industrial world and food processing industry.

ETHICS

Commitment, getting students to offer assistance to one another, to develop a professional outlook and awareness of others, are the fundamental values of our school and our heritage. These values are firmly embodied in our educational, pedagogical project.

STATUS

ESA Purpan's engineering degree is delivered under the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and CTI*. The status of our higher education establishment implies participation in the public services' mission, which explicitly invests our school with the duty of providing initial training as well as training for professionals, fostering research, development and international cooperation. The school is managed by a non profit-making organization.

* CTI (National Commission for accredidation engineering degrees).