ENS de Lyon press release, June 19, 2025
At the close of its Board of Directors meeting on June 12, the École normale supérieure de Lyon adopted a series of concrete measures reflecting the school's vision: a research school of public utility, open, with high standards and social commitment.
An ambitious school project, at the service of society
In a rapidly changing world, ENS de Lyon is reaffirming its vocation: to promote dialogue between disciplines, shed light on major contemporary issues, and train committed academic profiles. Its identity lies at the interface of the humanities, social sciences, exact and experimental sciences, in a spirit of rigor, openness and responsibility. This vision permeates all the projects adopted by the Board of Directors.
Two new appointments as of September 1
- Sonia Goldblum is appointed Vice-President for Academic Affairs. A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and currently a full professor specializing in the history of German ideas, she joins the Management Committee. She will be accompanied by a person in charge of the Banque d'épreuves littéraires competitive examination.
- Xavier Pons is appointed Director of IFÉ (Institut Français de l'Éducation, French Institute of Education). Professor at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, and a recognized researcher on educational policies, he will bring his expertise to bear at the interface between research, training and public debate.
Student life: social justice, well-being and diversity of career paths
- New tuition fee structure: the Board of Directors has voted for an income-indexed contribution, guaranteeing continuous progressivity and the absence of discontinuous thresholds. A significant proportion of students will be exempt, including those without a scholarship based on social criteria. This measure will provide funding for concrete actions such as real estate projects to support student life, outgoing mobility and maintaining a high level of support for student initiatives.
- Social openness and diversity of career paths: a reaffirmed commitment. ENS de Lyon confirms its commitment to social diversity and equal opportunity. From the start of the 2025 academic year, Cécile Dewitt-Morette scholarships will support female Mathematics and Computer Science students enrolled in the ENS de Lyon advanced degree, in order to increase the number of women in these disciplines. In addition, the School has set a target of 50% university graduates in its “student” admission stream, in order to diversify recruitment pathways.
- Increased support for student mental health and well-being, with a project to set up a student health center to provide comprehensive support.
Research and transitions: structuring the future
- A Center for Transitions. ENS de Lyon's ambition is to create a Center for Transitions, a transdisciplinary training and research facility focusing on major contemporary issues (climate, inequalities, biodiversity, energy, etc.). Conceived as a “project hotel”, this center will aim to cross-fertilize scientific expertise around major societal transformations. Implementation is scheduled for 2027.
- A new dynamic in the field of education. The appointment of Xavier Pons as Director of the Institut Français de l'Éducation will be accompanied by the implementation of a roadmap designed to strengthen synergies between IFÉ, the Laboratoire de l'Éducation and the Education & Digital Humanities department. The aim is to give greater structure to research, training and development activities on educational issues, both within ENS de Lyon and on the local territory.
International: contributing to the training of world-class scientific leaders
- Deployment of a PhD Track, promoting Master's/Doctorate continuity and the attractiveness of training programs, with a target of 5 funded theses per year. This is a 5-year program of supported incoming mobility, from a research Master's degree to a PhD at ENS de Lyon.
- Development of the Franco-Indian Biosantexc campus, coordinated by ENS de Lyon and bringing together the 4 ENSs and 7 IISERs (Indian institutes for Science, Education and Research), specializing in life sciences and health.
A school for the public good, to think and build tomorrow's world
ENS de Lyon has a demanding ambition: to embody a research school for the public good, open to all kinds of minds, rooted in its local territory and focused on the major scientific and social challenges of our time. As a member of the ComUE de Lyon St-Étienne, it is resolutely committed to the local scientific strategy.
About the École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)
ENS de Lyon is one of France's four Écoles normales supérieures. Located on two campuses – Monod (Sciences) and Descartes (Humanities) – it welcomes around 2,400 students, 11% of whom are international. Highly selective, the School recruits nearly 600 students each year, with an admission rate often below 5%.
Consistently ranked as one of the world's top research universities on a human scale, ENS de Lyon offers training through research: Master's degrees, PhDs, preparation for the agrégation, a 4-year degree specific to the School, as well as a CPES (Multidisciplinary Program in Advanced Undergraduate Studies) with the Lycée du Parc. It is supported by a network of top-class laboratories affiliated with CNRS, INSERM, INRIA and INRAé. In the exact and experimental sciences, humanities and social sciences, the school is recognized for its academic excellence, its international outlook and its commitment to diversity, innovation and research that contributes to the challenges facing our societies.
Annexes:
- ENS de Lyon degree tuition fees – 2025 academic year
- Appointments
Download the press release (PDF, 297 Ko) (in French).