Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is a descendant of the Sorbonne and the Faculty of Law and Economics of Paris. It is one of the largest universities in France today. Some 40,000 students are enrolled in 14 teaching and research departments (unités de formation et de recherche) and five institutes, which offer top-level degree courses in law, political science, economics, management and the humanities. The university is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, in the largest campus in the world, and occupies part of the Sorbonne and other prestigious French university buildings. Paris 1 is at the centre of a rich network of international relations stretching across the five continents and continues to play a major role in the training of researchers, academics, judges, lawyers, senior managers and top French civil servants.

Since 2005, the deployment of international partnerships has been a key focus for the university: the number of student exchange agreements rose from 185 in that year to 563 in 2008. In 2008 the university welcomed 554 exchange students (a 42 per cent increase from 2005), giving a total of 8036 foreign students. In terms of overall student enrolment at the university, the UK ranks eighth in Europe (102 students in 2008), but it ranks fourth in Europe (after Italy, Germany and Spain) in terms of students who enrol through an Erasmus agreement (40 in 2008). This highlights the importance of exchange agreements in structuring binational partnerships and fostering scientific collaboration.

This chapter briefly assesses Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne's 30-year history of partnerships with UK academic institutions. It addresses: the flows of students; the experience of 30 years of cooperation in joint diplomas in English and French law; and how academic exchanges promote and reinforce research partnerships, either by the means of binational cooperation or through more integrated international networks.

The Profile of British Students at Paris 1

While the share of British students enrolled in Paris 1 has been remarkable even recently (108 in 2005/06, 107 in 2006/07 and 102 in 2007/08), the number of Erasmus students has dramatically increased (from 10 in 2005/06 to 40 in 2007/08). About 40 per cent of British students come on an Erasmus exchange, while another 40 per cent are on bilateral joint degree programmes.