École pratique des hautes études

The École pratique des hautes études was established in 1868 by a decree from Napoleon the Third's Minister of Education, Victor Duruy. Its founding purpose was to challenge the rigid, traditional university system of the time by introducing a more practical, hands-on approach to research. Instead of purely theoretical learning, students were meant to train within laboratories and seminars, mirroring the methods used by German academics of that era. This shift transformed the institution into a center where research is the primary mode of instruction rather than a secondary pursuit.