Higher education: who is Sylvie Retailleau?

Since May 20, 2022, Sylvie Retailleau succeeds Frédérique Vidal as Minister of Higher Education and Research. This former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, originally from Nice, is a physicist specializing in nanoelectronics. “His research topics developed at the Institute of Fundamental Electronics (IEF, Université Paris-Sud/CNRS) are centered on the theoretical study of the physics of semiconductor components for advanced electronics“says the ministry to describe the work of Sylvie Retailleau. In 1988, she passed the aggregation of physical sciences (applied physics option) and obtained her doctorate in science at the University of Paris-Sud in 1992, where she became a lecturer. Passionate about science and quantum mechanics, the new minister began her career as a researcher at the IEF Paris-Sud/CNRS. It then becomes University Professor in 2001, Dean of the Faculty of Science in 2011, then President of Paris-Saclay University in 2020.

The new Minister of Higher Education is expected on several points for students. First on social criteria and in particular the reform of stock exchanges promised in 2017 but which had not been applied by Frédérique Vidal who considered this measure “complex”. The financing of research, employment and the orientation of young people will also be part of the challenges and of its new missions. It will probably address the question of a recruitment plan, as well as the programming law for higher education. . For now, priority should be given to creation of positions in short and professionalizing courses over 2 or 3 years, given that this measure is proposed in Emmanuel Macron’s programme.