The Paris Sciences et Lettres University (French: Université Paris Sciences et Lettres), also known as PSL University, is a public research university and grand établissement based in Paris, France. It was established in 2010 and formally created as a university in 2019. It is a collegiate university with 11 constituent schools, with the oldest founded in 1530. PSL is located in central Paris, with its main sites in the Latin Quarter, at the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève Campus, at the Jourdan Campus, at Dauphine Campus, at Condorcet Campus, and at Carré Richelieu.
PSL awards Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD diplomas for its constituent schools and institutes. It offers an education based on research and interdisciplinary instruction, and its students have access to a broad range of disciplines in science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, fine art and performing arts.
PSL alumni and staff include 28 Nobel laureates, 11 Fields Medalists, 3 Abel laureates, 49 CNRS Gold Medalists, 50 César winners and 79 Molière winners.
History
In 2004, institutions in the Latin Quarter began thinking of how to join forces to boost their international visibility. The French law on research promulgated in 2006, which encouraged the formation of research networks (in various forms including PRES and RTRA), paved the way for new projects such as Paris Universitas, PRES ParisTech and an early version of the PSL project. This new organization combined five institutions of higher education in the Latin Quarter: Chimie ParisTech, , , École supérieure de Physique et de Chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI Paris), and Observatoire de Paris. Together, they adopted the status of a scientific cooperation foundation (FCS) (fr). The new entity, called "Paris Sciences et Lettres – Quartier Latin", was initially conceived as a scientific alliance.. In 2011, the five institutions submitted a joint application for the Initiatives for Excellence (IDEX) as part of France's Investing for the Future program (PIA), causing the project to evolve into a new form of French university. This university would have 70% of its students at the Master's and PhD level and offer a Bachelor's program, with an emphasis on equal opportunity students (40% scholarship students in the CPES multidisciplinary preparatory class).
Development Between 2011 and 2012, ten new institutions joined the foundation: Conservatoire national supérieur d'Art dramatique, Conservatoire national supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, École nationale supérieure des Arts décoratifs, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, La Fémis, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Foundation for Research, Institut Curie, Institut Louis-Bachelier, MINES ParisTech and Université Paris Dauphine.
Their arrival reinforced PSL's scientific potential in the fields of engineering, biology, the arts, and management. In 2014, another four institutions specializing in humanities and social science joined the association: École française d'Extrême-Orient, École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), École nationale des Chartes, and École pratique des hautes études (EPHE).In 2015, PSL organized itself into a university community (ComUE: PSL Research University).. PSL began awarding PhDs at that point.
"Investing for the Future" program In 2010, the French government launched a call for proposals to boost higher education: the Investing for the Future program (also called the grand emprunt). PSL has successfully responded to several calls for proposals. In 2011, with the Initiatives for Excellence call for proposals, PSL was one of the first three projects selected, along with University of Bordeaux and University of Strasbourg.
While the diversity of project participants has sometimes been cited as a weakness, the promoters of PSL underline the complementarity of its institutions and the potential for collaboration. The funding of the Excellence Initiative has, in addition, supported the creation of 11 Laboratories of excellence (Labex) within PSL: CelTisPhyBio, DCBIOL, DEEP, DYNAMO, ENS-ICFP, ESEP, IEC, IPGG, MemoLife, TransferS, and WIFI. In 2014, the Corail, HaStec, and TEPSIS Labex laboratories joined the list with EHESS and EPHE becoming members of PSL. Also in 2011, PSL's institutions presented ten projects under the "Equipped with excellence" (Equipex) program. Among the initial submissions, they obtained eight Equipex facilities: BEDOFIH, D-FIH, Equip@Meso, ICGex, IPGG, Paris-en-Resonnance, Planaqua, Ultrabrain. These projects have received funding ranging from 2 to 10 million euros.
In 2017, after a detailed review process, nine institutions agreed to put in place an integrated budget and a multi-year strategy for academic recruitment, as well as to create a number of shared platforms and services. Chimie ParisTech, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale Supérieure, École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, ESPCI Paris, Institut Curie, Observatoire de Paris, MINES ParisTech, Paris-Dauphine University decided to jointly form PSL University. The agreement approved by their respective boards calls for the schools and institutions that form the university to adopt a unified strategy, to submit to the budgetary authority of the president of the university, to jointly plan their recruitment, and to transfer the whole of their diplomas to PSL. Towards the end of the process, in 2018, one of the former members, EHESS, did not approve the new statutes and decided not to be part of the target university.
Beaux-Arts de Paris, Collège de France, Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, École Française d'Extrême-Orient, École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, La Fémis, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique and Institut Louis Bachelier are recognized as associates of the university pending later integration.
University status (2019) In December 2018, an opportunity to formally create a full university arose with a new Ordonnance (ordinance) allowing to create a collegiate university, whose constituents may keep their legal personality, similar to British collegiate universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
In November 2019, a decree creating Université PSL as a collegiate university and the new statutes of the University were published. A few changes had occurred in the list of constituents, with nine institutions approving the new statutes and becoming (constituent colleges): Chimie ParisTech, Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, École Nationale des Chartes, École normale supérieure, , ESPCI Paris, Observatoire de Paris, MINES ParisTech, Paris Dauphine. Additionally, College de France and Institut Curie became associate members, participating closely in the governance of the University. Associate members contribute to the strategy of the University, receive financial resources from PSL University and may carry scientific programs on behalf and by delegation thereof.
In January 2025, the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-Malaquais and École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs joined PSL as constituent colleges.
Organisation and administration PSL is a collegiate university ( students). It consists of 11 constituent schools, with plans to gradually expand to include some or all other associate colleges. Three national research organisations (CNRS, Inserm, Inria) are involved in governance and help to define PSL's strategy, with which they coordinate their own strategies.
Constituent colleges NameFoundationFoundation of the oldest constituent part of the schoolTypeFieldJoined PSLStudentsCampusÉcole nationale supérieure de chimie1896Grande écoleEngineering2010 (founding member)300ParisConservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique1784Grande écoleDrama2012 (founding member)100ParisÉcole nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs1766Grande écoleArt and design2025700ParisÉcole nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-Malaquais2001Public school of architecture (EPA)Architecture20251003ParisÉcole normale supérieure1794École normale supérieure (special status)Science and Human science2010 (founding member)2,400ParisÉcole pratique des hautes études1868Earth and Life Sciences, Historical and Philological Sciences, and Religious Sciences2014 (founding member)2,000Paris, CondorcetÉcole supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles1882Grande écoleEngineering2010 (founding member)360ParisÉcole nationale des chartes1821Grande écoleHistorical science2014 (founding member)170Paris, CondorcetÉcole nationale supérieure des mines1783Grande écoleEngineering2012 (founding member)1500ParisObservatoire de Paris1667Grand établissementScience, Astrophysics2010 (founding member)150Paris, Meudon, NançayParis Dauphine Universityc. 1150 (University of Paris), 1968Grande école, grand établissementMathematics, Computer Science, Management, Economics, Finance, Law, Political Science, Journalism201110,000Paris1530Grand établissementSciences, Arts and Letters2010 (founding member)Latin QuarterCurie Institute1920Governmental organisationScience, Medicine2011
Associate colleges NameFoundationTypeFieldStudentsCampusÉcole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts1817Grande écoleArts530ParisÉcole française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO)1900Research instituteCultureParisInstitut national du service public (INSP)2022Grande écolePublic Administration533StrasbourgÉcole nationale supérieure des métiers de l'Image et du Son (La Fémis)1943Grande écoleFilm and television230ParisLycée Henri-IV1796Secondary school1,948ParisInstitut Louis Bachelier2008OrganizationEconomics and scienceParis
Presidents The current president is Alain Fuchs. He took over the position from Thierry Coulhon in 2017, when Coulhon was appointed advisor to the French President in charge of Education, Higher Education, and Research.
2012–2014: Monique Canto-Sperber, previously director of ENS, founder and first president of PSL September 2014 – February 2015 (acting) Romain Soubeyran, director of MINES ParisTech 2014–2017: Thierry Coulhon, previously director of the Mathematical Sciences Institute at Australian National University in Canberra June – October 2017 (acting) Marc Mézard, director of ENS 2017 – 2024: Alain Fuchs, previously president of CNRSLe Figaro: Un nouveau président pour PSL – 6 October 2017 Read online 2024 – present: El Mouhoub Mouhoud, previously president of Paris Dauphine University
Organization PSL is administered by a Board of Directors chaired by the PSL president. It relies on the recommendations of an Academic Council and a Strategic Steering Committee. The executive organ of the university is the Executive Committee (the president, vice-presidents, and deans), supported by the Council of Members.
Programs PSL offers education from undergraduate to doctoral level, across all academic disciplines, including life sciences, physical sciences, humanities and social sciences, creative arts, economics, administration and management.
All of PSL's institutions have adopted a model of education through research.
Undergraduate programs PSL and the Lycée Henri IV, along with Mines ParisTech, ESPCI Paris, Paris Dauphine University, Paris Observatory, École normale supérieure and Lycée Louis-le-Grand have implemented a three-year undergraduate program, the CPES multidisciplinary undergraduate course.
At Université Paris-Dauphine, a constituent of Université PSL, bachelor's degrees are available for students in the following fields: management, economics and finance, accounting, applied mathematics, computing, journalism (IPJ-Dauphine).
Sustainable Development Goals PSL is co-leader of the SDSN Network for France, under the initiative of the United Nations., together with Kedge Business School and Universite Cergy-Pontoise.