Second-year English classes at Chimie ParisTech-PSL are designed not only to reinforce students’ professional language abilities but also to build the soft skills crucial to their future roles as engineers. The program places strong emphasis on effective communication in English within multicultural teams, and on developing cross-cultural competencies.

International Collaboration in Action. As part of this effort, students are participating in the EELISA Cross-Cultural Job Interview Role-playing project, an initiative that brings together learners from Chimie ParisTech-PSL (France), UPM (Spain) and UPR (Romania). In total, 12 mixed groups — each composed of seven students — are working together to simulate real job interviews in English. The project is supported by Veolia’s Human Resources Department, which provides real job and internship offers as reference material. Students have also received Big Interview licenses, a leading AI-powered interview training platform, to rehearse for the job interviews and review their both cover letters and cvs. The project as a whole, and student mobility in particular, receives financial support from PSL University through its call for projects “Européanisation des formations”

Learning in the Field.On Thursday, November 13, ten Chimie ParisTech-PSL students and Ms. Moreau traveled to Madrid to meet their Spanish peers involved in the program. During the visit, they toured Veolia’s Southeast Wastewater Regeneration Plant at Edar Sur Oriental, gaining first-hand insight into the roles and responsibilities associated with the industrial and environmental sectors they may one day join.

This visit to the Veolia Southeast Wastewater Regeneration Plant at Edar Sur Oriental provided a hands-on learning experience, allowing students to discover key roles within Veolia, observe chemical wastewater treatment processes, and explore automated data-management systems. It offered a valuable opportunity to see how theoretical knowledge acquired in class is applied in real industrial settings.

“Seeing the processes in action gave me a completely new perspective on what we study in class,” remarked Clèmentine, a second-year Chimie ParisTech-PSL student.

For the Spanish students, the tour also included an in-depth look at a fully automated data control center, further highlighting the technological innovation driving Veolia’s operations.

We would like to thank everyone who made this project possible.

“I’m glad we could organize this visit for your students. All of us truly appreciate having the opportunity to share our passion for what we do whenever possible,” said Celia Devinoy, Group Talent Manager for Operations at Veolia.

A Real-World Linguistic Challenge. The visit also proved to be a valuable linguistic experience in multicultural communication. Conducted entirely in Spanish, the tour highlighted how team members rely on each other’s language strengths. The Spanish students translated the guide’s explanations into English when discussing general topics or digital systems. Conversely, when technical chemical processes were addressed, French students who speak Spanish stepped in to translate the information into French for their peers.

“It was fascinating to see teamwork in action — everyone contributed their language skills to make sure no one missed anything,” said Daria Moreau, Chimie ParisTech-PSL.

This dynamic mirrored the real-life challenges engineers face when working in international, heterogeneous teams using technical English.

Teamwork and Creativity: The Marshmallow Challenge. The visit concluded with a shared lunch and a team-building activity, reinforcing the importance of interpersonal relations in the success of any cross-cultural project. It also provided a space for students to challenge, confirm or dispel the cultural stereotypes they may hold about one another, while strengthening mutual understanding and collaboration.

The “marshmallow challenge” offered students a hands-on opportunity to collaborate on a shared task within a multicultural team, bringing together diverse professional profiles and problem-solving approaches. Some students focused on planning and structuring the work, others negotiated and advocated for their ideas, while a few — with a bit of luck — saw their design succeed. Regardless of the outcome, the activity fostered teamwork and creativity.

The day wrapped up with the group heading out to explore Madrid — even if the rain tried to slow them down.

Cultural Immersion in Madrid. The trip also gave ENSCP students the chance to immerse themselves in Spanish culture.

They visited a local museum and discovered UPM —  EELISA partner university — while attending the opening ceremony of ATHENS Week. The event blended cultural and musical performances, featuring touches of Spanish heritage such as Flamenco, and even a moment for the group to dance the famous Macarena.

Looking Ahead: Real Job Interviews.The final stage of the project will involve soon real job interview simulations conducted by Veolia’s Human Resources managers. Each of the 12 international groups — featuring students from ENSCP, UPM and UPR — will select one representative to take part in the interview, while the rest of the team observes. The most valuable element will come afterward, when students receive direct feedback from Veolia’s HR professionals. This firsthand guidance is expected to be a major asset for future engineers as they prepare to secure internships and career opportunities in the global job market.