- The Labour Studies Institute was set up in 1951 as part of the former Faculty of Law of Paris. Its role, like that of other labour studies institutes in France, is to provide education and training for trade unionists who need to complete their experience by university level teaching in view of their different responsibilities.

- The Institute:

The Labour Studies Institute provides a meeting place for labour unions and the world of higher education and research.

In addition to its work with trade unionists, the Institute also organises and runs three other more traditional university activities:

an academic postgraduate degree;
research, much of which is published, carried out by the teaching staff and researchers;
a specialised Documentary Resource Centre with over 30,000 books and 400 periodicals, plus a database containing over 35,000 references.

- Teaching:

Courses for trade unionists. Courses are organised full-time over three or five days and cover the different social sciences: law, economics, sociology, history, politics, pedagogy, etc.

Certain courses focus on a particular discipline but more often than not they are multidisciplinary and cross the traditional subject boundaries.

The themes studied are often closely linked to current events. They correspond either to an introduction to economics or labour law or to advanced courses in subjects such as Europe and Community Law, Economic Analysis, Social Protection, Working Conditions and the Organisation of Work, Training Trainers.

Today, the Labour Studies Institute is expanding its original field of activity in order to respond to new demands from the trade unions, who now offer their own in-house training. As a result, the Institute is adapting the courses it offers in terms of both teaching methods and content.

Some courses are shorter, others extended or organised over a longer period of time. Greater emphasis is put on a multidisciplinary approach and on research techniques in preparation for subsequent courses. All of this is being devised in the context of greater cooperation between the different institutes of the university.

- Postgraduate degree in Social Policy and Society :

This degree focuses on the analysis of social policies in the public and private sectors and the way they interact. All students take classes in the theory of social policy and an introduction to research methods.

They also choose one of two options :

Comparative social protection policies (with the Public and Private Sector Management and Social Law Department of the university);
Employment and Training Policy.

There are 30 places on the postgraduate degree course. Applicants must have the requisite degrees or experience.

Career prospects include research or work in social economics, in training and in project development.

Documents :

Initiates file download The ISST brochure
ISST Presentation