Sciences Po Toulouse, or The Institut d'études politiques de Toulouse is one of the nine Institutes of Political Studies of France. Based in the center of Toulouse, France, next to the Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, this highly selective political science grande école was founded by a Decree in 1948 under the name of Institut d'études politiques de l'université de Toulouse. Since 2004 the courses have been 5 years long. History Four institutes of political studies (in Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble and Toulouse) were established in 1946 following an executive decree by General Charles de Gaulle. The institut d'études politiques de Toulouse is one of them as an autonomous body within Toulouse 1 University Capitole. Since 2008, the cooperation between the different institut d'études politiques has increased and its students can now leave their institute in order to apply nearly freely in another one, furthermore, the competitive written examination (for students selection) is co-organized with five other institutes, respectively in Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Lyon, Rennes and Strasbourg. Directors 1948 - 1955: Paul Couzinet, university professor 1955 - 1980: Paul Ourliac, university professor in legal history 1980 - 1995: André Cabanis, university professor in legal history 1995 - 2000: Christian Hen, university professor in European public law 2000 - 2010: Laure Ortiz, university professor in public law 2010 - 2016: Philippe Raimbault, university professor in public law July 4, 2016 - October 31: Christopher Charles, Lecturer in Public Law (provisional administrator) 2016 - 2021: Olivier Brossard, university professor in Economics September 1, 2021: Eric Darras, university professor in political science Organisation Sciences Po institutes are Grandes Écoles, a French institution of higher education that is separate from, but parallel and connected to the main framework of the French public university system. Similar to the Ivy League in the United States, Oxbridge in the UK, and C9 League in China, Grandes Écoles are elite academic institutions that admit students through an extremely competitive process. Alums go on to occupy elite positions within government, administration, and corporate firms in France. The institute is modeled on the former École Libre des Sciences Politiques, and as such, Sciences Po uses an interdisciplinary approach to education that provides student generalists with the high level of grounding in skills that they need in History, Law, Economic Sciences, Sociology, Political science and International relations, enriched by specialization in years 4 and 5, after a 3rd year either on a professional placement