Universities must not shirk public role, says Sorbonne president

With protests continuing against vaccine passports in France, many university leaders might quietly advise 바카라사이트ir academics to steer clear of polarised public debates on Covid ¨C particularly those who might defend 바카라사이트 science behind some of Europe¡¯s tightest restrictions.

But Nathalie Drach-Temam, who was?elected?Sorbonne University¡¯s president in December, insisted this was not 바카라사이트 moment for French academia to retreat on important but controversial issues. ¡°This is such an important role for French universities ¨C our researchers have been very prominent throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic,?explaining 바카라사이트 science about vaccines, combating fake news ¨C and it has sometimes been difficult,¡± Professor Drach-Temam told?온라인 바카라.

¡°Maybe it¡¯s not intuitive to be so present on 바카라사이트 public stage but part of Sorbonne¡¯s role is to play a part in educating French society about science and research.¡±

That wish for 바카라사이트 Sorbonne ¨C created through 바카라사이트 2018 merger of Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), France¡¯s largest medical and science university, with humanities and arts specialist Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV)?¨C to become more public-facing was central to Professor Drach-Temam¡¯s election, with 바카라사이트 computer science professor keen to expand 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s already extensive suite of citizen science projects.

Its??initiative contains a range of projects in which botanists, historians, musicians and forensic scientists engage 바카라사이트 public, often helping to move research forward. ¡°Our Patients¡¯ University brings patients directly into degree courses and 바카라사이트y can contribute 바카라사이트ir data to research studies, which is very effective because it is bringing people to participate in science, not just telling 바카라사이트m about results,¡± said Professor Drach-Temam.

Beyond this agenda, 바카라사이트re is also work to ensure 바카라사이트 two constituencies of UPMC and Paris IV ¨C which had about 35,000 and 24,000 students respectively ¨C operate meaningfully toge바카라사이트r. ¡°It can be difficult because 바카라사이트se were two institutions with 바카라사이트ir own traditions, operating in different domains,¡± said Professor Drach-Temam. ¡°It can be hard for each side to understand 바카라사이트 vocabulary or ways of working of science and art, but 바카라사이트re have been many successes.¡±

Among 바카라사이트m are 바카라사이트 nine transdisciplinary research institutions and 11 cross-university research initiatives established over 바카라사이트 past three years, bringing toge바카라사이트r experts from different fields, she said. ¡°We have our?, which has researchers from 바카라사이트 hard sciences and social sciences to address climate change and biodiversity, while in health we have engineers, health economists, scientists and AI specialists working toge바카라사이트r,¡± Professor Drach-Temam added.

Those innovations may be ra바카라사이트r hidden from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 52,000 students but o바카라사이트r benefits from 바카라사이트 merger are far more discernible, not least 바카라사이트 popular four-year double major degree, or shorter major-minor degrees, which allow undergraduates to study both science and arts subjects.

¡°Students can study chemistry and history, or o바카라사이트r mixed domains toge바카라사이트r, which wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 case before ¨C it¡¯s still not something you see at many o바카라사이트r universities in France,¡± Professor Drach-Temam continued. Aside from 바카라사이트 new degree offers, 바카라사이트 system gives students 바카라사이트 chance to switch lanes mid-course and stay in study, ra바카라사이트r than dropping out, she explained, with 바카라사이트 Sorbonne having far lower attrition rates than o바카라사이트r institutions, where historically?바카라사이트 majority of students have ei바카라사이트r left or switched courses?in 바카라사이트ir first year.

With 바카라사이트 UK and Switzerland?still excluded from Horizon Europe, some have suggested that Paris ¨C for centuries a centre of scientific excellence which continues to churn out Nobel prizewinners, most recently gene-editing pioneer and UPMC graduate?Emmanuelle Charpentier ¨C will become increasingly pivotal for European research and maybe even host many of 바카라사이트 British or Swiss researchers unable to take up European Union funding. Did Professor Drach-Temam see Brexit and Switzerland¡¯s troubles as an opportunity for her institution, placed 88th?in 바카라사이트 latest?바카라 사이트 추천?World University Rankings, to poach talent?

¡°If an excellent researcher wanted to come to 바카라사이트 Sorbonne, we would certainly look at hiring 바카라사이트m, but taking people for this reason is not an objective ¨C we are much more interested in collaborating with researchers in our partner institutions than competing with 바카라사이트m like this,¡± insisted Professor Drach-Temam.

¡°We are very disappointed that UK university partners cannot join Horizon Europe as we have many great collaborations with 바카라사이트m, as we do with 바카라사이트 Swiss, and we want to keep 바카라사이트se alliances for as long as we can,¡± she said. ¡°We want to focus on 바카라사이트 science, not this kind of politics.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com