Fitch affirms Sciences Po's A+ rating and attests to the financial soundness of its business model

2 april 2025, Paris – Julia Cagé, Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Sciences Po, has been named co-recipient of the 2025 Yrjö Jahnsson Prize. This European prize, awarded every two years by the European Economic Association (EEA) and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, recognises economists under the age of 45 for their outstanding contributions to economic research in Europe. She is the first French economist to receive this distinction in 12 years. "I extend my warmest congratulations to Julia Cagé for this prize, which recognizes the excellence of her research. At Sciences Po, we are proud to see a scholar whose work sheds light on the major democratic challenges of our time, particularly issues related to media independence and political transparency, receive such recognition. This award once again highlights the vitality of our academic research and its ability to inform public debate," Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po. Julia Cagé shares the prize with economist David Yanagizawa-Drott (University of Zurich). The selection committee praised their joint work in political economy and media studies, particularly their historical analyses of France, the United States, and Africa. The jury emphasised “the crucial importance of media independence for a healthy democracy” and the relevance of their research on the risks of controlled media systems. Julia Cagé joined Sciences Po in 2014 after earning her PhD in Economics from Harvard University. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and, since 2018, has served as co-director of the “Democracy Evaluation” research group at Sciences Po’s Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP). Her research focuses on media economics, political participation, and social inequalities. In 2023, she was also awarded the Best Young Economist Prize by Le Monde and the Cercle des économistes. Her recent projects explore issues related to the circulation of information in the digital age, disinformation, and the financing of electoral campaigns. In 2021, she received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for her PARTICIPATE project, and has since secured several major grants, including from Project Liberty. This is the first time that an economist from Sciences Po’s Department of Economics has received this award. Sciences Po thus becomes the third French university to count a Yrjö Jahnsson Prize laureate among its faculty, alongside the Toulouse School of Economics and the Paris School of Economics.

Paris, September 30, 2024 – The decree of the President of the Republic, issued on the report of the Minister of Higher Education and Research and on the recommendation of the Board of the Institut d'études politiques (IEP), confirming the appointment of Luis Vassy as Director of the IEP, was published on September 28, 2024, in the Journal officiel de la République française. Luis Vassy was also appointed Administrator of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP) by an order issued on September 28, 2024 by the Minister of Higher Education and Research, on the recommendation of the Board of the FNSP. As part of the procedure for appointing the new Director of Sciences Po, the Boards of IEP and FNSP both voted in favor of Luis Vassy, following their evaluation of the candidates' proposals on September 19 and 20. Chief of staff to Europe and Foreign Affairs ministers Catherine Colonna and Stéphane Séjourné, former French ambassador to the Netherlands, Sciences Po graduate and alumnus of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan (Social Sciences department) and the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, Luis Vassy takes up his duties this Tuesday, October 1, 2024. “I am deeply honored to be the new Director of Sciences Po, a world-class academic institution that contributes to France's influence. As a former student, I am strongly committed to its mission of promoting social diversity through excellence. At a time of multiplying crises and upheavals in France and around the world, our country needs an institution capable of dealing with them using knowledge, rather than fear and withdrawal.” Luis Vassy, Director of Sciences Po. About Sciences Po Since 1872, Sciences Po's mission has been to shape free minds capable of understanding the world, in order to transform it. It places academic excellence and social inclusion at the heart of its values. Its unique academic objectives are defined by a multidisciplinary approach rooted in the humanities and social sciences, a strong international perspective, and the ability to combine fundamental knowledge with professional expertise thanks to its 280 research professors and 4,600 part-time lecturers. A world-class research university with 11 research centers, Sciences Po takes social responsibility seriously, proposing solutions to major contemporary issues including environmental and digital transformations, changes in public policy, and the fight against inequality and discrimination. The defense of academic freedom – an essential condition for democracy and social progress – is also at the heart of our academic project. Each year, Sciences Po trains 15,000 students, 50% of whom are international, on seven campuses (Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers, Reims) within the Undergraduate College, and in seven schools at Master's level (international affairs, public affairs, law, journalism, management, research, urban planning). 3,500 professionals also receive continued professional training.   Media contacts Romain Becker & Katell Fagon : media@sciencespo.fr / 01 45 49 50 79

Paris, January 10, 2024 - Stéphanie Balme, Director of Research at Sciences Po and the institution's Academic Freedom referent, has been elected Director of Sciences Po's Centre de recherches internationales (CERI). Stephanie Balme became the first female director of this joint Sciences Po - CNRS research unit and took up her post on January 2, 2024, succeeding Alain Dieckhoff (CNRS) who had held the position since 2013.  As head of the CERI, Stéphanie Balme will lead a policy of scientific excellence in international relations and comparative politics, focusing on the professional integration of young researchers, the development of major ANR and ERC projects, the integration of the laboratory into innovative national and international academic networks, and a genuine scientific mediation strategy. Following the laboratory's founding principles, she also hopes that CERI will remain at the forefront in welcoming scientific refugees. "I am sincerely grateful to my colleagues at Sciences Po and the CNRS for their trust. I approach this mandate with the enthusiasm and sense of commitment that they know me for, while being aware of the challenges linked to the exercise of the profession of international researcher in a torn global space. To promote CERI's excellence, I'm delighted to be able to count on the exceptional collective intelligence of the team, as well as the support of the two deputy scientific directors, Laurence Louër (FNSP) and Hugo Meijer (CNRS)", comments Stéphanie Balme. Stephanie Balme is an internationally-renowned specialist in the political and judicial systems of post-Mao China and Sino-European relations, whose career has been marked by extensive international experience. Having worked on three continents and lived in China for thirteen years, she holds a PhD in political science and an HDR (habilitation to supervise research - a post-PhD qualification in the French academic system) in law. She has held various research and teaching posts at institutions such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Tsinghua University in Beijing. She has also been a visiting professor at UQAM (Montreal), Ashoka (New Delhi), UBC (Vancouver) and Columbia University Law School (New York). She has also acted as a consultant for several international and European organizations. In 2017, she broadened her field of expertise to include science diplomacy during an assignment with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. From 2018 to 2023, Stéphanie Balme was Dean of Sciences Po's College Universitaire, committed to pedagogical innovation, working to bring together humanities, social sciences and hard sciences, and strengthening links between teaching and research. She has been professor at Paris School of International Affairs of Sciences Po (PSIA) since 2012, sits on the scientific councils of IHEDN and IRSEM, and has just been appointed associate researcher at the International Council for Science.   CERI has been at the heart of her academic career since her thesis under the supervision of Guy Hermet, political scientist and former director of CERI (1976-1985), a leading specialist in Latin America and the democratic transitions of authoritarian regimes. Under the influence of Guy Hermet, Stéphanie Balme's early research focused on the analysis of communist regimes in Asia. She is currently working on the affirmation of China's scientific and technological power. Her research interests include the impact of China's science diplomacy on international relations, contributing to work on the place of science in international relations and the global governance of science. In 2019, she co-founded the ESDI (European Science Diplomacy Initiative) with Pierre Lemonde and Enrico Letta. CERI, a high level center for international relations and comparative politics CERI was the first research center created at Sciences Po, in 1952. Initially a documentation unit set up within the FNSP, it stands out for its unique tradition of analysis of global international relations and comparative politics, based on interdisciplinarity and fieldwork, particularly in the so-called Global South. It brings together political scientists, sociologists, historians, anthropologists, geographers and economists. Year after year, it has become a world-renowned center of excellence. CERI examines several fields: not only diplomacy and relations between states on a global scale (cooperation, conflicts, negotiations, global governance), but also political societies by regional or cultural area in a comparative perspective (Middle-East, Americas, Africa, Europe, the former Soviet world, Asia). As a joint Sciences Po - CNRS research unit, CERI employs over 70 researchers and 70 doctoral and postdoctoral students. It also welcomes around 50 guest researchers and associate experts. All are supported by a supervisory team of around 15 people. CERI researchers are also involved in a wide range of teaching activities at Collège Universitaire, Sciences Po Masters courses and doctoral programs - for example, on multilateralism, state diplomatic instruments, populism, Latin American metropolises, natural disasters, violence, transnational religious networks, migration and citizenship issues in Africa. About Sciences Po Since 1872, Sciences Po's mission has been to shape free minds capable of understanding the world, in order to transform it. It places academic excellence and social inclusion at the heart of its values. Its unique academic objectives are defined by a multidisciplinary approach rooted in the humanities and social sciences, a strong international perspective, and the ability to combine fundamental knowledge with professional expertise thanks to its 290 research professors and 4,600 part-time lecturers. A world-class research university with 11 research centers, Sciences Po takes social responsibility seriously, proposing solutions to major contemporary issues including environmental and digital transformations, changes in public policy, and the fight against inequality and discrimination. The defence of academic freedom – an essential condition for democracy and social progress – is also at the heart of our academic project. Each year, Sciences Po trains 15,000 students, 50% of whom are international, on seven campuses (Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers, Reims) within the Undergraduate College, and in seven schools at Master's level (international affairs, public affairs, law, journalism, management, research, urban planning). 3,500 professionals also receive continued professional training. Contact presse : Romain Becker : media@sciencespo.fr / 01 45 49 50 79