Sergeï Guriev appointed Sciences Po Provost

A milestone for Sciences Po

This appointment should significantly strengthen the synergies between education and research, in line with the greatest international universities. Professor Guriev's mission will be to continue and advance the development of Sciences Po as a world-class research university by maintaining its very high level of teaching, and supporting the development and dissemination of research at Sciences Po, both nationally and internationally. Together with the Sciences Po President, he will actively contribute to the governance of the institution in conjunction with the Directors of the research centres and academic departments, Executive Education, and the various administrative divisions.

The choice of a world-renowned figure also testifies to the outward-looking perspective and international appeal of Sciences Po, where nearly half of the 15,000 students are international, representing more than 160 nationalities.

The appointment of Professor Guriev is the result of an unprecedented selection process. A research committee composed of 12 members from within and outside the institution, representing all of Sciences Po's communities and disciplines, was set up in February under the chairmanship of Marc Lazar, former president of Sciences Po's Academic Board. 

A world-renowned academic and economist

Advisor to the Russian government in the early 2010s, and Rector of the New Economic School in Moscow, the largest economics university in the country, Sergei Guriev left Russia in 2013 after denouncing the political repression and authoritarianism of Vladimir Putin. Threatened by the Russian regime and exiled to Paris, he joined the Economics Department at Sciences Po, where he became Scientific Director of the Master’s and PhD programmes in 2019. Between 2016 and 2019, Professor Guriev was also Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). At the beginning of his career, his research work took him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University. He has recently taken up a five-year appointment as Senior Member to the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Laureate of the Chair for Fundamental Research.

Mathias Vicherat, Sciences Po President: “I am very pleased with the appointment of Sergei Guriev, a leading academic figure, as Provost. As soon as I became President of Sciences Po, I wanted to create this position to combine research and teaching at the highest level of international excellence. Professor Guriev will, in particular, be responsible for developing the research and training offer on the environmental and digital transitions. He will also assist me in boosting the international appeal of Sciences Po. I would like to warmly thank the 12 members of the selection committee for their work and commitment.”

Professor Sergeï Guriev, Sciences Po Provost: “I am delighted to have been appointed Provost of Sciences Po, an institution that opened its doors to me nearly ten years ago. Thanks to the excellence of its permanent faculty, its staff, and the strength of its alumni network, Sciences Po is a leading institution in the humanities and social sciences. I am honoured to have been chosen to implement the ambitious plans that Mathias Vicherat has set out for the development of Sciences Po. Sciences Po has an influential role to play in the future of Europe and throughout the world .”

Find out more: 

• Presentation of Sergei Guriev (ENG)
• Nomination of Sergei Guriev as a member of the Institut universitaire de France