Inside the French university where spies are trained

Xavier Crettiez, a professor at a French university, admits that he does not know the real identities of many of the students sitting in his classroom, an unusual reality that reflects the secretive nature of his work.

The account is based on a report by the BBC, which examined how France trains its intelligence officers at a specialised academic programme run in partnership with the country's secret services.

Professor Xavier Crettiez says anonymity is part of the system.

"I rarely know the intelligence agents' backgrounds when they are sent on the course, and I doubt the names I'm given are genuine anyway."

The setting seems fitting for a spy school. The Sciences Po Saint-Germain campus, located on the outskirts of Paris, is marked by sombre early-20th-century buildings, heavy metal gates and a discreet atmosphere, surrounded by busy and unremarkable roads.

What sets the institution apart is a unique diploma that brings together two very different groups: conventional students in their early 20s and active members of the French intelligence services, usually aged between 35 and 50.

The course, known as Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales (Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats), was developed by Sciences Po in collaboration with the Académie du Renseignement, the training wing of the French secret services.

The initiative followed a request from French authorities after the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, when the government launched a major recruitment drive within intelligence agencies. Sciences Po was asked to design a programme that could train future recruits while also providing continuous education for serving agents.

Major French corporations soon expressed interest, enrolling their security staff and recruiting graduates. The diploma consists of 120 hours of classes spread over four months. For external participants, including intelligence officers and corporate professionals, the fee is about €5,000.

The curriculum focuses on identifying, tracking and countering threats. Topics include organised crime economics, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence, political violence and the risks of over-reliance on technology.

Access to the programme is tightly controlled. Journalists attending classes must first be vetted by French security services.

One student, who introduces himself as Roger, says in clipped English that he is an investment banker.

"I provide consultancy across West Africa, and I joined the course to provide risk assessments to my clients there."

Prof Crettiez, who teaches political radicalisation, says France's intelligence apparatus has expanded significantly in recent years, with around 20,000 agents now operating in what he calls the "inner circle".

This includes the DGSE (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure), responsible for foreign intelligence and comparable to MI6 or the CIA, and the DGSI (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure), which handles domestic threats, similar to MI5 or the FBI.

But the focus extends beyond terrorism.

"There are the two main security agencies, but also Tracfin, an intelligence agency which specialises in money laundering. It is preoccupied with the surge in mafia activity, especially in southern France, including corruption in the public and private sectors, mainly due to massive profits in illegal drug trafficking."

Lecturers on the course include a former DGSE official posted in Moscow, a former French ambassador to Libya, senior Tracfin officials and the head of security at French energy giant EDF.

Private-sector interest continues to grow, particularly from defence, aerospace and luxury goods companies facing cyber-espionage and sabotage risks. Recent graduates have been hired by Orange, Thales and luxury conglomerate LVMH.

This year's class has 28 students, including six intelligence officers. Their identities are not hard to guess: they sit together during breaks, avoid attention and sign attendance sheets using only their first names.

One officer says the diploma is viewed as a fast-track route from office work to field operations. Another says the academic setting helps generate new ideas.

Among the younger students, 21-year-old Alexandre Hubert says he is interested in the growing economic rivalry between Europe and China.

"Looking at intelligence gathering from a James Bond viewpoint is not relevant, the job is analysing risk and working out how to counteract it."

Another student, Valentine Guillot, also 21, says she was inspired by the French TV spy drama Le Bureau.

"Coming here to discover this world which I didn't know anything about except for the TV series has been a remarkable opportunity, and now I am very keen to join the security services."

Nearly half the class are women - a relatively recent change, according to lecturer Sebastien-Yves Laurent.

"Women's interest in intelligence gathering is new," he says.

"They are interested because they think it will provide for a better world.And if there is one common thread amongst all these young students, it's that they are very patriotic, and that is new compared to 20 years ago."

French citizenship is mandatory for applicants, though some dual nationals are accepted. Prof Crettiez says applications are closely scrutinised.

"I regularly get applications from very attractive Israeli and Russian women with amazing CVs. Unsurprisingly, they are binned immediately."

In a class photograph, the intelligence officers are easy to spot, they stand with their backs to the camera.

Despite the intrigue, Prof Crettiez cautions against romantic notions of espionage.

"Few new recruits will end up in the field. Most French intelligence agencies' jobs are desk-bound."