French spy training university

University professor Xavier Chretiz admitted that he did not know the real names of many students in his courses.

This is a highly unusual situation in academia, but Professor Kretiz’s work fell far short of the mark.

Instead, he helped train French spies.

“When intelligence officers were sent on courses, I learned very little about their backgrounds, and I doubted the names I was given were authentic,” he said.

If you want to create an environment for a spy school, then Sciences Po Saint-Germain, located on the outskirts of Paris, seems like a good choice.

The early 20th century architecture is gloomy, even dark, surrounded by busy, monotonous roads and large, intimidating metal gates, giving it a very discreet feel.

What stands out is its unique diploma, which brings together more typical students in their early 20s and active members of the French Secret Service, usually between 35 and 50 years old.

The course is called Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats, which translates to Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats.

It was developed by the university in partnership with the Academie du Renseignement, the training arm of the French Secret Service.

This follows a request from French authorities ten years ago. After the 2015 Paris attacks, the government launched a massive recruitment drive within France’s intelligence services.

It requires Sciences Po, one of France’s top universities, to create a new course that would both train potential new spies and provide ongoing training for existing agents.

Big French companies were also quick to show interest, both wanting to enroll their own security guards in the course and snapping up many of the young graduates.

The diploma consists of 120 hours of classroom work, with modules spread over four months. For external students – those on espionage and corporate placements – the fee is around €5,000 ($5,900; £4,400).

The core objectives of the course are to identify threats wherever they are and how to track and defeat them. Key topics include the economics of organized crime, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence gathering and political violence.

In order to attend one of the courses and speak to students, I had to first be vetted by French security services. The topic of the course I attended was “Intelligence and Overreliance on Technology.”

One of the students I spoke to was a man in his 40s named Roger. He told me in very precise, concise English that he was an investment banker. He added: “I consult throughout West Africa and I took the course to provide risk assessments to clients there.”

Professor Chrétiz, who teaches political radicalization, said France’s secret services had expanded significantly in recent years. Currently, there are about 20,000 agents in his so-called “inner circle.”

The agency consists of the DGSE, which is responsible for overseas affairs and is equivalent to France’s MI6 or the United States’ CIA. The DGSI focuses on threats based in France, such as MI5 in the UK or the FBI in the US.

But he said it was not just a terrorism issue. “There are two main security agencies, and there is Tracfin, the intelligence agency that specializes in money laundering.

“It focuses on the surge in mafia activity, particularly in the south of France, including corruption in the public and private sectors, largely due to the huge profits from illegal drug trafficking.”

Other instructors on the course include former DGSE officials based in Moscow, the former French ambassador to Libya and senior Tracfin officials. The head of security at French energy giant EDF also runs a module.

Private sector interest in diplomas is said to continue to grow. Large businesses, particularly in the defense and aerospace sectors, as well as French luxury goods companies, are increasingly keen to hire these students as they face relentless cyber security and espionage threats as well as sabotage.

Recent graduates have been snapped up by French mobile phone operator Orange, aerospace and defense giant Thales and LVHM, which owns everything from Louis Vuitton and Dior to champagne brands Dom Perignon and Krug.

There are twenty-eight students in this year’s class. Six were spies. You could tell who they were because they were the ones huddled together during recess, away from the younger students, and when I approached them they weren’t too happy.

One employee crossed her arms and did not reveal specific roles but said the course was considered a quick stepping stone from office to field work. Another said he got new ideas in this academic environment. They only wrote their names on their attendance sheets for the day.

One of the young students, Alexandre Hubert, 21, said he wanted to learn more about the looming economic war between Europe and China. “Intelligence gathering isn’t important from a James Bond perspective, the job is analyzing risks and figuring out how to deal with them,” he told me.

Another class member, Valentine Guillot, also 21, said she was inspired by the popular French fictional TV spy drama “Le Bureau.” “It’s been a fantastic opportunity to come here and explore a world I knew nothing about other than the TV series, and now I’m very keen to join the security service.”

In fact, nearly half of the students in the class are women. According to one of the lecturers, spy technology expert Sebastien-Yves Laurent, this is a relatively new development.

“Female interest in intelligence gathering is new,” he said. “They are interested because they think it will lead to a better world.

“If there’s one thing all these young students have in common, it’s that they’re very patriotic, and that’s new compared to 20 years ago.

If you’re keen to apply to join the course, French citizenship is a basic requirement, but some dual citizens are also accepted.

Yet Professor Kretiz said he must remain vigilant. “I regularly receive applications from very attractive Israeli and Russian women with stellar resumes. Not surprisingly, they are immediately discarded.”

In a recent class photo, you can tell immediately who the spies are – their backs are to the camera.

While all the students and professional spies I met were slim and athletic, Professor Kretiz was also passionate about dispelling the myths of James Bond-style adventure.

“Very few new employees end up in this field,” he said. “Most of the work of French intelligence agencies is done at a desk.”