The Paris-Belleville National School of Architecture (L’Ecole nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris Belleville: Ensa-pb) has committed to a long-term partnership with the Vauban Network. The agreement was signed by Jean Pierre Bobenriether, the Director of the School, and Jean-Louis Fousseret, President of the Vauban Network, in 2009. Through this collaboration, an “Architecture Centre” for teaching and research has been established. In practical terms, this partnership has led to the organisation of architectural studios at the Network sites and of an annual field trip, and to the creation of a research and development section.

The Institute for Research and Higher studies in Tourism (L’Institut de recherche et d’études supérieures du tourisme: IREST), University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, directed by Madame Gravari-Barbas, in charge of the Unesco Tourism, Culture and Development Chair, has joined the Network of Major Vauban Sites for 2010 with an agreement signed in December 2009. Both parties are keen to collaborate in the field of developing and promoting tourism for the fortifications of Vauban inscribed on the World Heritage List. The main objective is to set up a framework enabling students from the IREST Professional Masters in Tourism course to study at sites in the Vauban Network. At the end of these courses, which will last from 3 to 6 months, the Vauban Network would like to showcase the students’ work by including it at the resource centre for the management of fortified heritage and by organising a public presentation of findings.

The FMR workshop is actively involved in Vauban Network activities, through Nicolas Faucherre, Professor of History of Art at the University of Nantes. He is an archaeologist and historian specializing in fortifications and also the Network’s scientific expert. He was in charge of the scientific analysis for the nomination project and currently acts as a consultant to towns in the framework of their management, protection and enhancement policies for fortified heritage.