FAQ
Q: Why are the events so cheap?
The organising Local BEST Group (LBG) is trying to get as much money as possibly by co-operating with several organisations. The university is interested in hosting foreign students and in becoming more internationally minded. Companies wish to get access to European-minded students, which is done during the event by company presentations, guest lectures or company visits. In some countries, the student union also provides some financial aid.
Q: Do I have to be a BEST ENSTA ParisTech member to participate in a BEST event?
No, of course no. BEST Courses and BEST Symposa on Education are opened to all students from technical universities.
Q: Why is there a fee for some events and none for others?
The fee depends mainly on the situation in the Local BEST Group, how much support they get from university, student union, etc.
Q: What is the maximum fee for a BEST event?
The maximum fee is 5 Euro per day (but no more than 55 Euro). Whether a student pays full or reduced fee depends on his country of studies as follows.
Q: How is the selection for the events done?
The organising LBG gets all the applications entered by the students and then will decide on regional aspects (they try to get people from all over Europe, so they in general won't take more than one student from each city/country), on your Motivation Letter (they have to read many of them, so try to be creative!), and maybe on your educational background (only if you need some previous knowledge for a specific event). The organisers also aim at having equal number of male and female participants.
Q: Can I apply for every event?
Yes! You can apply for every event, but it might not be reasonable in some cases. It is possible that one event requires some previous knowledge and if you don't have that you might not be taken. On the other hand,there might be beginner's level courses in the field of your study and then the course will get too boring!
Q:For how many events per season may I apply?
You can apply for maximum three BEST Courses and three other (education) events per season. You can be accepted to at most one BEST Course per season (but any number of other events).
Q: What should I do after being accepted to a BEST event?
Ask the member of your university’s Local BEST Group about the procedure or read the Never Alone Guide. For BEST Courses, your account must be validated after you have given the deposit to your Local BEST Group’s treasurer.
Q: What is the BEST Spirit?
Well the BEST answer to that is to experience it... so go and apply now!
Q:What do I do if I'm not accepted to an event?
You can try again the next seasons. There are four seasons for BEST Events: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. You might also join BEST and go to internal BEST events.
Q: Can I get ECTS credits participating in a BEST event?
After the final examination you will get a BEST Certificate to attest your participation and to describe the content of the course. The BEST Certificate has the University stamp and teacher's signature. It is up to your home University if they will get this course recognised by giving you credits (for now, ENSTA ParisTech does not recognise Courses by giving credits).