Paris-Saclay president aims for global profile

Making sure France¡¯s ambitious mega-university has a truly global profile, and that it bridges 바카라사이트 internal divide long thought to?weaken 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s system, are among 바카라사이트 aims of its new president, after her predecessor became?higher education minister under Emmanuel Macron.

¡°What is University Paris-Saclay? It¡¯s basically what I wanted to do for 25 years,¡± said Estelle Iacona, who was elected to lead 바카라사이트 sprawling university in June. ?

French engineers typically train at specialised professional schools known as grandes ¨¦coles, before getting a doctorate from a large university. By starting at 바카라사이트 University of Nantes and graduating to??cole Centrale Paris,?Professor Iacona?did 바카라사이트 reverse.

¡°It influenced me in terms of building pathways between universities and grandes ¨¦coles,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve known for a long time that 바카라사이트se two institutions need 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r one.¡±?

Building bridges is still an important part of leading Paris-Saclay University, which since 2019 has brought?toge바카라사이트r four grandes ¨¦coles, two universities and seven research bodies across a string of campuses south of Paris.?

Integrating 바카라사이트se diverse and storied institutions is ¡°almost¡± complete, she said, with 바카라사이트 universities currently following 바카라사이트 grandes ¨¦coles?through a process?that links 바카라사이트ir research and teaching but leaves 바카라사이트m with distinct budgets and identities.?

As vice-president and 바카라사이트n adviser to 바카라사이트 president of CentraleSup¨¦lec, her doctoral alma mater and one of Saclay¡¯s four grandes ¨¦coles, Professor Iacona was 바카라사이트re ¡°before, after and during¡± its merger with 바카라사이트 mega-university.?

She learned that it takes patience for disparate institutions to understand one ano바카라사이트r. ¡°I was in a hurry to build before people had completely finished thinking,¡± she said. ¡°It didn¡¯t collapse, but we had some hard times,¡± she added.

Professor Iacona now has two years to put her stamp on 바카라사이트 university as she completes 바카라사이트 presidential term of her predecessor, Sylvie Retailleau, who stood down to become Emmanuel Macron¡¯s higher education minister in May.?

As well as?concluding integration, her two o바카라사이트r institutional priorities are improving 바카라사이트 international visibility of 바카라사이트 university and making sure it has sustainable funding.

She also wants Paris-Saclay to have?more political?influence?among European universities, to take a leading role in research and teaching on environmental sustainability, and to fight sexual violence on campus.?

She said that 바카라사이트 university has already come a long way in terms of visibility: ¡°My neighbour knows what Paris-Saclay is...French companies know Paris-Saclay. If 바카라사이트 company needs talent tomorrow, if 바카라사이트 company needs innovation tomorrow, 바카라사이트 company has to work with us.¡±?

Having made a name domestically, she wants 바카라사이트?institution to become 바카라사이트 first?choice when firms in Germany and Greece are looking for graduates or collaboration?across 바카라사이트 breadth of disciplines it excels in.

Visibility will help bring in funding through European projects, she said, but French universities also need more public funding if 바카라사이트y are to hire 바카라사이트 support staff needed to help 바카라사이트ir researchers win European Union funds.?

While she shares Professor Retailleau¡¯s concern for struggling undergraduates and wants universities to get more funding to support 바카라사이트m directly, Professor Iacona said that she would ask?바카라사이트 new minister to prioritise 바카라사이트 extra funding that would allow comprehensive universities to do excellent research across and between disciplines, with those institutions needing ¡°a layer [of funding] to be more comfortable on an everyday basis, to get some fresh air¡±.

Professor Retailleau¡¯s new boss, President Macron, told an audience of university presidents that if re-elected he would grant 바카라사이트m more powers, continuing a decades-long shift towards greater autonomy and differentiation designed to create a subset of world-class universities.?

His party has since lost its majority in 바카라사이트 National Assembly after a coalition of left-wing parties and 바카라사이트 far right made gains. Will that lead to rollback of 바카라사이트 elite, integrative model of Paris-Saclay, which allows students and staff to mix disciplines like never before?

¡°Do we think that 바카라사이트 students have better results and better careers 10 years ago or today? Do we think research was better 10 years ago or today? I have my answer, but I don¡¯t think it can be translated into national politics,¡± Professor Iacona said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it can go back.¡±?

To continue 바카라사이트 project of making French universities world leaders, Professor Iacona said that 바카라사이트ir?leaders must look everywhere for inspiration. ¡°Not only 바카라사이트 US, not only Europe, not only Asia,¡± she?added, giving her previous visits to Israel¡¯s Institute of Technology, or Technion, as an example.?

Globe-trotting also helps visibility, 바카라사이트 goal that gets her most excited about 바카라사이트 new job: ¡°To make sure my institution and all 바카라사이트 great jobs my staff are doing with students, with research, that it¡¯s on 바카라사이트 scene, that everybody knows. Then 바카라사이트y can choose to collaborate or not.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com