Case Study: Sciences Po achieves rapid campus-wide remote learning and community continuity with Zoom Video Communications

Paris Institute of Political Studies Uses Zoom to Transition to Remote Learning & Maintain Community During COVID-19

The Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), a 14,000‑student university founded in 1872 with a large international student body, needed to make a rapid shift to remote learning during COVID‑19 while leveraging existing SIP/H.323 AV equipment and avoiding costly new hardware. The school also faced the challenge of training about 4,000 faculty and staff quickly and ensuring a user‑friendly solution for global communication.

Sciences Po adopted Zoom Meetings and Zoom Video Webinars, chosen for compatibility with current AV gear, cost‑effectiveness, and ease of use. The university trained most staff in about a week and onboarded students two days later; Zoom proved reliable in low‑bandwidth settings, enabled lecture recording, allowed public debates to continue via webinars, and helped maintain community connections while keeping implementation affordable.

Sciences Po

Jean-Pierre Berthet

Chief Digital Officer