Observatoire de Paris - PSL is a major, recognized actor in the development of major astronomical projects on a planetary scale.
International Relations
Astronomy is a science intrinsically linked to the use of large instruments on the ground or in space, and is therefore guided by international collaborations. This international dimension is one of the major missions of the Observatoire de Paris - PSL establishment, which naturally integrates it into its overall strategy.
The French government also provides a framework within which our international policy can be deployed, including both national policy on the Protection of Scientific and Technical Heritage (PPST) and specific ministerial directives that depend on the geopolitical context.
**Overview of Paris Observatory’s international relations}
The research activities of Observatoire de Paris-PSL are reflected in the large number of publications involving international collaborations. In 2021, these co-publications involved 114 countries. The detailed analysis of publications and citations carried out each year by the Library of Observatoire de Paris-PSL highlights a smaller group of countries with which our teams collaborate in particular: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. A more detailed analysis of university or institutional affiliations reveals a very wide range of international relationships, which are naturally forged through scientific collaborations within research teams, post-doctorates carried out by our young researchers and/or instrumental consortia.
Observatoire de Paris-PSL collaborates with international space agencies on major space missions such as Cassini, Rosetta, Gaia, and more recently Solar Orbiter, Mars2020, BepiColombo, JUICE, as well as ground-based research infrastructures such as ESO instrumentation including the VLT and the European ELT, CTAO, or LOFAR/NenuFAR and SKAO for low-frequency radio astronomy.
The range of existing cooperation agreements, particularly those linked to the establishment of doctoral contracts, once again reveals a wide diversity of countries, including Japan, Italy, China, the Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Australia and the United States. The Observatoire de Paris maintains collaborative networks with these countries, structured around major strategic subjects within the framework of large-scale consortia, framework agreements or specific agreements with partners, which are detailed here. Observatoire de Paris-PSL also participates or has participated, as coordinator or partner, in over sixty projects under the European Research Framework Programs:
The internationalization of our training programs is also a strategic area of development for the Graduate Programs of the Université PSL and for our Master courses and specializations in particular, with two clearly identified objectives: the international opening of our training programs as a vector of attractiveness, and international mobility as a privileged means of supporting our students and young researchers towards scientific autonomy. The Graduate Program Astrophysics of PSL and the UFE have already set up a number of initiatives in this direction, such as mobility grants, PhD tracks and participation in the European Erasmus+ program.
**Challenges and priorities}
In 2024, the Observatoire de Paris-PSL adopted an international policy based on three major challenges:
- International cooperation as the driving force behind top-level research. International cooperation is a key component of top-level research. It is built on the day-to-day collaborations forged by research teams. The role of the establishment (in particular through the SRCV) is to provide support in setting up scientific collaboration projects and in negotiating and drawing up collaboration agreements or research or experimental device development contracts.
- International openness as a means of enhancing the attractiveness of our courses. The internationalization of our Master’s programs is a priority for the Graduate Program Astrophysics of PSL and the UFE, particularly with a view to increasing the flow of excellent incoming M1 students. This component is the subject of actions designed to promote links between training and research as a means of enhancing the attractiveness of our courses and, through them, of the establishment.
- Leading our students and young researchers towards scientific autonomy through international mobility. International mobility is an essential step in the acquisition of scientific autonomy and the consolidation of recruitment applications. The development of a network of collaborations to encourage the movement of students and/or young researchers reinforces the professionalization and employability of our students.
**At the heart of PSL University}
Observatoire de Paris - PSL occupies a central position in the international collaboration strategy implemented by PSL University, which also enables it to increase its own visibility and international appeal.
In particular, the three challenges of the Paris Observatory’s international policy are fully in line with the international policy implemented by PSL University, especially challenges #2 and #3, which are directly reflected in actions supported by PSL’s Graduate Astrophysics Program.
In terms of attracting and supporting young talent, Paris Observatory has set up a Post-Doctoral Program in Astrophysique at Paris Observatory-PSL which attracts applications from many young foreign researchers.
