From Monday 23 January to Friday 27 January 2023, the School provides a week of extracurricular activities for ENS students referred to as “normaliens” who are enrolled in the 1st year of the ENS de Lyon diploma. The objective of these activities is to increase awareness of our students about the complex issues we are currently facing and that we will face in the future (ecological and digital transition, new individual and collective risks, future of research, etc.). Please find below a preview program.
The future of research and the profession of teacher-researchers facing the challenges of ecological transition
The week will open with a round table, "Taking action in uncertain times", bringing together teacher-researchers from the School, which will be followed by a presentation by Clément Pieyre, Florence Codet and Myriam Chermette, on open science. The EffiSciences association will also be present. There will then be a presentation with all the 350 students concerned, on what “engaged research” means and what it involves today. Students will be able to register for a conference of their choice selecting from 3 different themes. A lecture by philosopher Stéphanie Rufy, on the foundations of engaged research is also on the program.
Raising awareness on the issue of ecological transition
Last year, on September 19, during the round table How to prepare our students to face the climate and environmental crisis? with Dennis Meadows and Jean Jouzel, Emmanuelle Boulineau presented a series of initiatives that have already been carried out or that will take place at the School soon. In addition to the cross-cutting module approach of the ENS de Lyon diploma on ecological transition, and the thirty courses identified on this theme, all disciplines combined, the idea here is to raise awareness among all our newcomer ENS students known as “normaliens”. This approach echoes the Jouzel report based on raising awareness and training on the challenges of ecological transition and sustainable development in higher education. After two conferences, one given by Olivier Hamant based on his latest book, La troisième voie du vivant (2021, Odile Jacob Editions), and the other by Freddy Bouchet on the fundamental uncertainties on the impacts of climate change, the students will all follow a climate fresco workshop, and if they have already taken part in this event, they can also participate in a workshop called 2Tons. They will also test their knowledge of sustainability issues, by passing a qualifying test known as a “Sulitest”. Two of the conferences given by members of the EffiSciences association will focus on the challenges of ecological transition: "Climate change" and "Biorisks". Finally, as part of our partnership with the Musée des Confluences, they will be welcomed at the Museum for a guided tour of the exhibition “Nous les fleuves” which translates as “Us the rivers”.
Raising awareness of the digital transition
A half-day will be devoted to IT security and sustainable digital technology, with the help of the National Agency for Information Systems Security led by Viviane Delattre and Emmanuel Quemener. The safety of artificial intelligence will also be addressed by EffiSciences.
Prevention
Two theater companies will come to the amphitheater to work on the theme of “risk reduction". The focus of this forum will be on the misuse of psychotropic products, including alcohol.
Closing conference by Philippe Descola
Anthropologist, former student of the ENS de Saint-Cloud, Philippe Descola will give a conference entitled "Cosmopolitans of the Earth", following his work and conferences as part of the Chair of Anthropology of Nature at the College of France.
See the full program of the Interface Days (on the French website)
All ENS students or “normaliens” in their 1st year of the diploma must attend the event. The students concerned will receive an email giving them a link to register for the activities when they enroll, as well as all the details concerning the slots when their presence will be required if they are taking part in group activities. As the organization of this week was somewhat disrupted by the unavailability of the Mérieux amphitheater, only “Normaliens” enrolled in the 1st year of graduation will be able to attend the various conferences. Some of the lectures will be filmed and rebroadcast later.