PRES (Center for Research and Higher Education)
Improved organisation for competitive research...
Alongside changes in legislation governing the focus and organisation of research programmes, due to take effect from 2005 — and conforming to directives previously defined at the Conference for University Presidents — French universities are undergoing a restructuring process. The aim is to improve their competitive status in the European and international arena, making them major players in the future of French education, research and innovation.
What is PRES (Centre for research and higher education)
Various groupings of higher education establishments are assigned to PRES. The existence of PRES has led to various cooperation and management strategies between the various units. These strategies, selected and adopted by the establishments concerned, direct university activities to sectors of variable size, but which are nevertheless important: the definition of a common teaching strategy; determination of a common management policy for human resources; establishment of real communal services; individual doctoral schools, a common committee for strategic directives, a common research strategy, etc. Putting these policies into effect require the delegation of the establishments' competencies and will be achieved through collaborations between the partners and by their surveillance.
Creation of UniverSud Paris in the south of Ile de France
An academic PRES is being set up in the south of Ile de France: UniverSud Paris. Its long-term goal is to gain the status of a large, internationally-acclaimed university.
Its founding members are the universities, Paris-Sud 11, Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines and ENS-Cachan. The top grandes écoles (specialised universities) in the south of France have also requested to form a partnership with UniverSud Paris.
UniverSud Paris comprises 50,000 students and 160 research laboratories, 130 of which are associated with research organisations, such as CNRS, INSERM, INRA, INRIA and CEA.
Over a dozen major research areas have been identified
A restructuring programme for research teams from the founding establishments and their partners (other establishments of higher education, organisations and research institutions) — in particular the Génopôle d'Evry and the large infrastructure companies such as SOLEIL and NeurSpin — was launched two years ago. This approach has allowed the identification of over a dozen centres carrying out scientific research within specific subject areas in a multidisciplinary fashion through collaborative work, providing real added value.
Moreover, the restructuring of these teams offers further undergraduate and post-graduate training within the subject areas concerned.
An EPCS structure
Administrative advisors from the three founding establishments voted for the inaugural convention of UniverSud Paris with a large majority. This convention details the competencies delegated to PRES, the themes concerned and the Etablissement Public de Coopération Scientifique (EPCS; public establishment for scientific collaboration) statute.
The UniverSud Paris establishment and statute proposals were put forward to the Direction Generale de L'Enseignement Superieur (National Board of Higher Education) in October 2006 and 15th December 2006, respectively.
UniverSud Paris was officially created by decree on 21st March 2007, conforming to ESPC structure, according to Article L. 344-1 of the code of research, under regulations L. 344-4 to L. 344-10 of the same code.