PSL University
Located in the heart of Paris, PSL inspires dialog among and between all areas of knowledge, innovation, and creativity. With 17,000 students and 2,900 researchers, it is a human scale university. It is ranked in the top 50 among all universities globally, and in the top 5 among young universities less than 50 years old according to Shanghai (ARWU), THE (Times Higher Education), CWUR and QS ( Quacquarelli Symonds).
PSL includes nine Component Schools and two Associate Members and works closely with three research entities. It draws on the scientific strengths of all its schools to foster unprecedented opportunities for its communities in education, research, technology transfer, and industrial and academic partnerships both nationally and internationally.
With 28 Nobel laureates, 10 Fields medal winners, 3 Abel laureates, 50 César, and 79 Molière awardees, it represents circa 10% of French research and has received more than 150 ERC grants since its creation. Its academic community draws from the full potential of PSL’s 140 laboratories, to offer students and researchers a range of interdisciplinary graduate programs, in all scientific fields.
Chosen from around the world for their talent and carefully supervised, PSL students have access to a comprehensive research based course offering. Whether they become researchers, entrepreneurs, managers or artists, PSL students learn to formulate answers and solutions that will have an impact on our society. PSL is a public university that promotes a diverse student body, welcoming students from every social status, gender, and geographical origin.
As a major hub of arts and culture, PSL hosts many debates, lectures, exhibits, shows, and concerts throughout the year. It forms strategic partnerships with the world’s top universities. A leader in innovation, PSL supports applications of its research by creating some 50 start ups and filing nearly 70 patents annually. In 2017 it launched its own seed fund, the PSL Innovation Fund.
Université PSL :
• Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art dramatique - PSL
• Dauphine - PSL
• École nationale des chartes - PSL
• École nationale supérieure de Chimie de Paris - PSL
• École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris - PSL
• École normale supérieure - PSL
• École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL
• ESPCI Paris - PSL
• Observatoire de Paris - PSL
• Collège de France, Institut Curie
• CNRS, Inria, Inserm
The Observatory, founding member of Paris Sciences et Lettres
The Observatory contributes to PSL its international notoriety in astrophysics. Since it is the only part of the University involved in astronomy, it s participation in PSL has a unique character, and its importance is enhanced thanks to the international prestige of the PSL, in much the same way as that of the « Harvard-Smithonian Center for Astrophysics » which is part of Harvard University, or that of the « Institute of Astronomy » within Cambridge University.
The Observatory participates actively in most of the initiatives launched within the framework of PSL, in research teaching, valorization and public outreach.
Research, education, valorization, public outreach : cooperative initiatives
As far as research is concerned, Paris Sciences et Lettres is in particular the driver for the LabEx ESEP (Exploration Spatiale des Environnements Planétaires – Exploration of Space and Planetary Environments), whose scientific coordination is ensured by the Paris Observatory. Moreover, the Paris Observatory, via its collaboration with other members of the PSL, is involved in many original research programmes, with a consequent effect of synergy in certain cases, such as the Research Initiative « Origins and Conditions of Emergence of Life » (IRIS OCAV). Due to its high expertise in space research, the Observatory hosts and supports the PSL space campus C²ERES (Campus et Centre de Recherche pour l’Exploration Spatiale).
Moreover, some of the research which is at present carried out exclusively within the Observatory, but which has strategic importance for PSL, is also supported by the University.
As far as training is concerned, the Observatory aims principally, within the context of PSL, at attracting students, who are as always seduced by astrophysics, to the experimental sciences. That is why the Observatory has been deeply involved in the multidisciplinary set of higher education studies of PSL (CPES), since its origin in 2012. The Observatory is also involved in the establishment of a doctoral school for PSL.
The Observatory’s strategy in the valorization sector requires an increasing pooling of resources at the level of PSL. For example, this will involve calling increasingly on the valorization department of PSL to help detect upstream valorizable research, using patent applications, contractual relations with industry, and indeed to help in the creation of companies by scientists of the Observatory. Consequently, the establishment participates actively in the creation of the valorization department of PSL.
A number of other initiatives, concerning communication, public outreach, conservation and valorization of the documentary, instrumental, iconographic and architectural heritage, can be shared across the board within PSL. The Paris Observatory intends to play a major role in these activities.
