The program is called “Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales,” or “Diploma in Intelligence and Global Threats,” and was developed by the university in collaboration with the Academie du Renseignement, which deals with French intelligence services. The university’s professor, Xavier Crettiez, says he doesn’t know the real names of many of his students, as that is the field in which he teaches.
Often the target of terrorist attacks, but now in an effort to increase its military power, France seems to have found the solution for self-defense, a university! It is not just any university, where you simply learn how to face danger, but in fact it trains you to become a perfect spy in the service of the country. It is the university complex “Sciences Po Saint-Germain”, where there are also branches of political science and international relations, which has already implemented the espionage course. The espionage curriculum consists of 120 hours, spread over four months, worth about 5 thousand euros.
Students are required to have French citizenship, but there have been cases where people with dual citizenship have been admitted. The latter must have a French passport in order to enroll in the university.
The program is called “Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales,” or “Diploma in Intelligence and Global Threats,” and was developed by the university in collaboration with the Academie du Renseignement, which deals with French intelligence services. The university’s professor, Xavier Crettiez, says he does not know the real names of many of his students, as this is the field in which he teaches. One student said that “in order to take the course and speak to the students, I first had to pass a check by the French security services,” referring to the strict environment that characterizes this branch and university building.
The main goal of the program is to train potential spies to identify and counter threats. Key topics include the economics of organized crime, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence gathering, and political violence.
MAJOR EXPANSION OF FRENCH SECRET SERVICES
According to Professor Crettiez, the French secret services have seen an expansion in recent years. There are now around 20,000 agents in what he calls the “inner circle.” This circle consists of the DGSE (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure), which deals with foreign affairs and is the French equivalent of the UK’s MI6 or the US’s CIA, as well as the DGSI (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure), known as the Directorate General for Internal Security, which focuses on threats within France, like the UK’s MI5 or the US’s FBI.
But it’s not just about terrorism. “There are the two main security services, but also Tracfin, an intelligence agency that specializes in money laundering. It deals with the growth of mafia activity, especially in southern France, including corruption in the public and private sectors, mainly due to the huge profits from the illegal drug trade,” the professor points out. The university’s professors include a DGSE official, a former French ambassador to Libya, a senior Tracfin official and a security chief of a French energy giant.
BIG COMPANIES EMPLOY STUDENT SPIES
Large companies, especially in the defense and aerospace sectors, as well as French luxury goods companies, are increasingly interested in hiring these graduates, as they face serious threats in the areas of cybersecurity and espionage. Recently, graduates have been hired by French mobile phone company Orange, aerospace and defense giant Thales, and LVHM, which owns everything from Louis Vuitton and Dior to champagne brands Dom Perignon and Krug.
This academic year, 28 students are enrolled, six of whom are spies. These students are easily identified, as they hide from the rest of the students during breaks and do not seem particularly happy when approached. Without specifying their exact role, one of the students claims that the course is considered a quick springboard for promotion in the field, while another claims that he gains new ideas in this academic environment. They sign the attendance sheet for the class with only their first names.