The position had been vacant since the resignation on March 17 of Mathias Vicherat.
The former general director of Pôle emploi Jean Bassères has been appointed provisional administrator of Sciences-po Paris, the Ministry of Higher Education announced on Tuesday.
“The Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, in agreement with the president of the National Foundation for Political Sciences (FNSP), Laurence Bertrand Dorléac, has appointed Jean Bassères as provisional administrator of the Institute of political studies from Paris and the FNSP, from March 27, 2024,” indicates the ministry in a press release.
“Return to serenity”
Himself a graduate of Sciences-Po, Jean Bassères notably headed Pôle emploi from 2011 to 2023. This Inspector General of Finance “has unanimously recognized experience in the service of the State and in the conduct of public action” , greets the Ministry of Higher Education.
He will temporarily occupy the functions of director and general administrator until a new director is appointed, but will not be a candidate for this position, the ministry also specifies.
The position was left vacant after the resignation on March 17 of Mathias Vicherat, suspected of domestic violence.
His successor will be officially appointed by a commission after a public call for applications.
Responsible for ensuring the “smooth running” of this procedure, Jean Bassères will also have to “implement effective actions to guarantee respect for the principles and values of the Republic and ensure the return to the serenity of debates at Sciences-po Paris”, according to the ministry press release.
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Sciences-po Paris: the government takes legal action after the pro-Palestinian rally in an amphitheater
The elite school has been plunged into turmoil since the incidents that occurred during the occupation of an amphitheater by around 300 pro-Palestinian activists on March 12 as part of a “day of European university mobilization for Palestine”.
This occupation resulted in accusations of anti-Semitism from the Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF).
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal visited the site, where he notably criticized a “drift, linked to an active and dangerous minority”.