IP Paris Défense: Because defense is everyone’s business

Student Life Defense and Security
Ambrine Pujo, first president of IP Paris Défense

The goal of the IP Paris Défense association is to raise awareness among the student body at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris about issues related to defense and sovereignty. Ambrine Pujo, a third-year ENSTA student and the association’s first president, explains how this ambition is being realized in various ways.

IP Paris Défense began with a small group of students from the schools of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris who were interested in defense-related topics for various reasons and wanted to participate in—or even organize—events on this theme together. Among these engineering students, a large proportion were from ENSTA, including Ambrine Pujo, who became the association’s first president:

“It all started in 2024 as an informal Messenger group. But we quickly felt the need to set up a formal association so we could organize our activities,” recalls Ambrine.

The most consistent of these initiatives is active monitoring of defense-related topics and sharing that information through two main channels: an Instagram account that already has more than 1,200 followers, and a recently created LinkedIn page

Overview of the IP Paris Défense Instagram Account

“The LinkedIn page will primarily be used to publish longer-form content, such as in-depth reports on strategic issues, and also to recap events like the visit by two defense engineers that we organized in April. ”

But the best is yet to come, with upcoming visits to strategic industrial sites, a partnership with the DGA, creativity workshops on the theme of defense foresight, and—for the more athletic—a boot camp in the form of a 48-hour immersive training session organized by the Atlas Federation, an umbrella organization for youth defense associations. Teams will compete in physical and intellectual activities designed to introduce participants to the values of military service, while highlighting reserve and professional opportunities within the armed forces.

Event organized by IP Paris Défense featuring two defense engineers who were welcomed at the ENSTA campus in Paris-Saclay

“Thanks to the variety of activities on offer, there really is something for everyone at IP Paris Défense. We welcome both people who are simply looking to understand the issues and those who are already familiar with defense matters but wish to deepen their knowledge by participating in events with peers from different schools.”

“As I have just completed my term as president, I would really like IP Paris students to seize this opportunity to understand that each of them—whether they are pursuing a career in telecommunications, civil engineering, cybersecurity, or renewable energy—holds a piece of the country’s sovereignty, and that as future engineers, we will all have a role to play in addressing new conflicts.”

Ambrine Pujo Founding President of the IP Paris Défense Association
Ambrine Pujo on the walkway at the ENSTA Paris-Saclay campus

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