From the Sciences Po newsroom

March 12, 2024

This morning, members of our student community occupied the Emile Boutmy amphitheatre without a prior request made to the administration, and therefore without authorisation. They organised a demonstration in support for Palestine from 8am to 12pm, which led to the cancellation of a Collège Universitaire lecture course.

In addition to the unauthorised occupation, Sciences Po also deplores a form of action and practices that deliberately fall outside the framework set for student and campus life, as article 3 of the student life regulations prohibits the disruption of the smooth running of Sciences Po's activities. One member of the student community was prevented from entering the amphitheatre, and accusatory remarks were made about one student association in particular. Sciences Po leadership will refer the matter to the relevant disciplinary section against those responsible for these intolerable acts within our institution. 

Sciences Po is a place of teaching and research, which advocates for pluralism and intellectual opposition, in the service of the debate of ideas and democracy. Sciences Po condemns all forms of racism, anti-semitism and islamophobia, and reiterates that student and university life on our campuses, as well as on social networks, must comply strictly with the law and with our common rules. Any breach of these rules will be dealt with most firmly. In addition, the well-being of each member of our communities, as well as the serenity of study conditions at Sciences Po, are priorities that must be guaranteed in all circumstances. In particular, it is strictly forbidden to distribute images of individually recognisable members of the Sciences Po communities without their prior written consent. 

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7 affects us all. It has repercussions within Sciences Po, among students, teachers and employees. Some members of our communities are experiencing these feelings intensely, whether or not they have personal, family or cultural ties with the region. Sciences Po is a place that must preserve and support all the members of its communities, and will continue to propose initiatives that take into account the expression of this suffering, as well as the understanding of this crisis. Various discussions along these lines will be held in the very near future, involving the main stakeholders.

We know that we can count on all of you, members of our various Sciences Po communities, to continue to bring our campus to life in accordance with the values of respect, tolerance and openness that characterise our university.

March 13, 2024 

Sciences Po has referred the case of acts of an anti-Semitic nature to the public prosecutor, on the basis of Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Today, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research, Sciences Po’s management contacted the Paris public prosecutor, in accordance with Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, on the basis of a letter received from the Sciences Po section of the Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF). The letter denounced discriminatory acts of an anti-Semitic nature that occurred yesterday during a student collective’s occupation of the Emile Boutmy lecture hall. Yesterday, Sciences Po condemned, to all of its communities and on the strongest terms, the intolerable actions that took place within the establishment.

In parallel, this morning, the management of Sciences Po opened an administrative investigation into the events that occurred yesterday in and around the Boutmy lecture hall. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Higher Education and Research went to the Board of Directors of the Fondation national des sciences politiques (FNSP) to underline the gravity of the accusations and the absolute need for the University to remain a place of education, research, and healthy debate- respectful of the values ​​of the Republic.

Sciences Po, affected by the conflict in the Middle East and its disastrous consequences on civilian populations, notes and regrets an increasing tension in relations between its student communities and the establishment of an unacceptably damaging climate in an institution which promotes diverse ideas and ethical debate. Sciences Po wishes to reiterate its commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism and its total resolve against the actions of students that contradict the law or the values ​​of the institution.

 It is Sciences Po’s responsibility to allow the entire student body to study peacefully within it, and the institution will continue to implement the means necessary to ensure this, with the strict application of student life regulations, a system of listening and reporting, systematic administrative investigation of any reports, prevention and training in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, and implementation of our action plan to fight discrimination.

March 18, 2024 

As the Deans of the schools, heads of the research centers, departments of Sciences Po as well as the elected members of the permanent faculty of the Board of Directors of the National Foundation of Political Science (FNSP), we unite to express in the strongest terms our indignation at the unannounced visit of the French Prime Minister at the Board of Directors meeting of the FNSP on 13 March 2024.

In light of this very unfortunate event, we are resolved in stating that:

1. No political figure should take actions that undermine the principles of academic independence and freedom, enshrined in the laws of the French Republic. Academic freedom guarantees the right to teach and conduct peer-reviewed research, without undue interference by external authorities, including the state. Just like press freedom for journalists, academic freedom ensures the independence and legitimacy of scholarly work, based on evidence and refutable reasoning. Allusions to a possible "take over" of our institution during the 13 March Board of Directors meeting blatantly call into question the commitment to this fundamental principle. We believe that the defence of academic freedom is an absolute priority in a liberal democracy, also because it provides a basis for focusing public debate on facts and knowledge.

2. We unequivocally denounce all forms of exclusion, discrimination, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, and violence. We are also firmly committed to our responsibility to ensure that our students are able to learn in a protective but vibrant intellectual environment that treats them with respect and dignity.

3. Sciences Po is governed by clear rules concerning the organization of student life. In accordance with the French Education Code, any non-compliance triggers an internal investigation. This procedure was implemented immediately after the occupation of the Emile Boutmy lecture hall by students on 12 March, which has been at the center of this controversy. Despite the false information and often politically opportunistic discussion surrounding this event, we believe that it is essential to allow the authorities charged with overseeing this procedure to complete this investigation in the absence of undue interference whether from the government or the media.

4. Sciences Po’s academic community is founded on interdisciplinary openness within the international community. Despite claims to the contrary, especially on social media, our community fully embraces democratic norms and principles. Our overarching aim is to educate students, whether they come from France or elsewhere in the world, about excellent and cutting-edge research that will intellectually stimulate them as well as empower them to be equipped to confront the immense challenges facing our world.

5. We affirm our commitment to upholding the humanistic values on which Sciences Po was founded, including the dissemination of knowledge, fostering reasoned debate, embracing global openness, and renewing our dedication to the freedom of knowledge. Our academic freedom is based on the historic philosophical traditions of French and European universities as well as on professional ethics. We see it as our responsibility to uphold these values and we do so by promoting scientific rigour, pluralism and debate. Given the gravity of the war in the Middle East and other conflict zones around the world, it is imperative to allow universities to restore the path of debate and dialogue.

Alongside the presidents of the FNSP and the Conseil de l'Institut, we will work to uphold the above fundamental principles, in particular during the interim direction of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Paris.

Signataires/ Signatories

Directions des départements/ Department Chairs
Philippe Coulangeon (sociologie) 
Sabine Dullin (histoire)
Emeric Henry (économie) 
Réjane Sénac (science politique) 
Guillaume Tusseau (droit)

Directions des centres de recherche/ Chairs of the Research Centers
Kevin Arceneaux (CEVIPOF)
Stéphanie Balme (CERI et référente liberté académique)
Sophie Dubuisson-Quellier (CSO)
Séverine Dusollier (Centre de recherche de l’École de droit) 
Florence Faucher (CEE)
Olivier Godechot (AxPo)
Emiliano Grossman (CDSP)
Sylvain Parasie (médialab) 
Anne Revillard (LIEPP) 
Paul-André Rosental (CHSP) 
Mirna Safi (CRIS)

Doyennes et doyens des Écoles/ Schools Deans
Anne-Célia Feutrie (École d’affaires publiques) 
Pierre François (École de la recherche)
Arancha Gonzalez (École d’affaires internationales-PSIA) 
Jeanne Lazarus (Collège universitaire)
Marie Mawad (École de journalisme)
Sébastien Pimont (École de droit)
Natacha Valla (École du management et de l’impact) 
Tommaso Vitale (École urbaine)

Membres élus de la faculté permanente du Conseil d’administration/ Elected Members of the Permanent 
Faculty of the Board of Directors
Carlo Barone
Charlotte Halpern
Horatia Muir Watt

Directeur de la formation et de la recherche/Provost
Sergei Guriev