FRANCOIS MICHELIN RETIRES
FINES FOR LAX PARENTS
FOREIGN MINISTRY SPONSORS TIME PROGRAM
LEGION OF HONOR BICENTENARY
Often called France’s most secretive CEO, François Michelin, head of the company whose rotund "Mr. Bibendum" is famous worldwide, officially retired on May 17, following his last, and emotional, shareholder meeting. Michelin led the family business, founded in 1889, from tenth to first in the tire market after he took over in 1955; the company now employs 130,000 people. His responsibilities will be passed on to his son Edouard and to René Zingraff.
The French government is taking harsh measures against parents who let their children skip school. Absenteeism is a phenomenon which affects 30 percent of French schools, and although relatively infrequent (0.8 percent of students in middle and high schools, and 3 percent in professional schools), in certain difficult areas the percentage is significantly higher (10 percent), according to a 1999 official survey. To sanction these occurrences, the government has implemented a strict policy: a fine on the first warning and a larger fine on the second warning, in some cases accompanied by a prison sentence ranging from ten days to two months.
The TIME program (Top Industrial Managers for Europe) is an academic cooperation program which selects the best engineering students, offering a curriculum which leads to two national engineering diplomas. During the six years of study, two years are spent abroad in one of the 37 cooperating universities in 17 countries across the globe. Founded by the Engineer School, Ecole Centrale of Paris, the program is supported in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which awards scholarships and recently agreed to sponsor the celebration of the program’s 1,000th student, which was held on May 17th.
To celebrate the bicentenary of the prestigious order created by Napoleon on May 20, 1802, events will be held year round, ranging from concerts and exhibitions to memorial days and university colloquiums . The celebration was launched by relighting the flame under the Arc of Triumph. For a detailed schedule, visit www.culture.fr/culture/actualites/celebrations2002/index-celebrations.htm.
Paternity Leave, a Success Story in France
Paternity leave, introduced in France January 1st, 2002, has been a resounding success. According to the latest government study, 50,000 fathers had already benefited from paternity leave as of May 1st. Over the course of the year, experts estimate that at least one-half of new fathers will take advantage of the offered leave.
According to the legislation, a father may take paternity leave for a total of 11 consecutive days when one child is born or adopted, and 18 days upon the birth or adoption of multiple children. These days may be added to the three days of leave already provided for the father when the child is born. According to the government survey, 94 percent of fathers do in fact take leave for the maximum number of days offered. The paternity leave can be taken at any point in the first four months of the child’s birth; however, studies show that 76 percent of paternity leaves are taken within the first 20 days following the birth of the child.
French companies have wholeheartedly supported the new paternity leave. According to the Minister of Family, few companies have objected to their employees taking leave. Rather than complaints from employers, the greatest deterrent for fathers’ taking leave is often the remuneration provided by Social Security. The sum allotted by Social Security is set at 2,352 euros, which is sometimes less than a father would receive from his average salary. However, 12 percent of fathers who have taken paternity leave traded higher salaries for the lower sum provided by Social Security, in order to spend more time with their infants.
World Cup Soccer 2002
France is feeling "bleu"! Team France kicked off the 2002 World Cup in Seoul on May 31st . The opening match against Senegal tested the resolve of Les Bleus to repeat their championship run of 1998. The French team had a disappointing start by losing to Senegal 0-1. Despite their slow start, the French team will continue to defend their 1998 title in their next two games against Uruguay and Denmark. Loyal soccer fans in the U.S. will have to sacrifice sleep to watch live matches beginning as early as 1 a.m. in a country 13 time zones away. As alarm clocks and espresso makers are working overtime in the U.S., the French side will play Uruguay on June 6 at 7:25 a.m. on ESPN2, and Denmark on June 11 at 2:25 .m. on ESPN, in Group A round-robin play.
This year’s squad will retain most of its players from the last World Cup, though without the talent of Laurent Blanc and former captain Didier Deschamps. The new captain is veteran defensive stopper Marcel Desailly, who should keep things airtight in the backfield with Lilian Thuram. On the offensive end, field maestro Zinedine Zidane will look to serve Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and David Trezeguet, whose prolific slash-and-burn style of goal scoring should keep things lively for French supporters. Since winning their 1998 World Cup title, the French team proved their power again by winning the European Championship in 2000. With their consistently strong efforts, French fans will have an exciting World Cup to watch this month.
French Team Publishes Breakthrough Study on Smoking
A study on the effects of smoking, conducted at France’s INSERM (National Institute for Health and Medical Research) yielded evidence that nicotine intake kills existing brain cells and hinders the production of new ones, scientists announced on May 13. At the head of the team of researchers were scientists Pier-Vincenzo Piazza and Djoher Nora Abrous, who reported their findings in a specialized publication in the United States, The Journal of Neuroscience.
They said the study’s results decisively contradict s former research work contending that smoking could improve cognitive performance, and even claiming that it could impede the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Although these "pro-nicotine" claims were countered afterwards by the results of other research, mostly based on population research and cognitive tests, this is the first study to do so on the basis of biological tests on the brains of living creatures.
The INSERM team’s study was conducted on rats. Three of the four groups of animals were allowed to take intravenous doses of nicotine in low (0.02 milligrams per kilogram), medium (0.04 milligrams per kilogram) or high (0.08 milligrams per kilogram) amounts. The fourth group was not allowed any nicotine. The production of new brain cells in the groups taking medium and high doses of the substance decreased at a rate 50 percent greater than it did among the rats which took no nicotine. It was also observed that their existing brain cells were dying at a greater rate than those of the rats in the nicotine-free group.
All three groups of nicotine-taking rodents experienced a sharp drop in production of a protein, PSA-NCAM. PSA-NCAM and new brain cells alike are produced in the dentate gyrus, part of the hippocampus region of the brain. The protein plays an essential part in the brain’s "plasticity," which affects learning and memory capacities.