"The research landscape is changing rapidly."
On August 30 and 31, the University of Montpellier hosted the annual conference for vice presidents in charge of research and innovation at French universities. The 2022 edition, focused on the theme of transitions, brought together more than 180 participants. We look back on this event with Jacques Mercier, vice president in charge of research at UM.
What is the purpose of this annual conference?
For seven or eight years now, all VP Research and Innovation officers have been invited to meet to report on what has happened during the year. It is an opportunity to discuss ongoing reforms and exchange views on current research issues, both among ourselves and with representatives of major research organizations.
How many people are participating in this event?
We had over 180 participants, which was a real success. We welcomed VPs from all over France, including Réunion and Polynesia. The CEOs of the main research organizations1 also attended, as did Manuel Tunon de Lara, President of France Université (formerly the Conference of University Presidents).
The R3SUP network held its conference the day before. Who does it bring together?
The R3SUP network brings together research administrators. They are the equivalents of Anne Bancel, who heads the Research and Doctoral Studies Department (DRED) at UM. This network usually meets one day before or one day after and also participates in the VP Research and Innovation conference.
The host city changes with each edition. Why was it interesting for the University of Montpellier to host it this year?
We have already been to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, and Paris, so it was only logical that Montpellier should join the ranks of these major university cities. This highlights our appeal, dynamism, and visibility in a year in which the UM has embarked on major transitions. We also took the opportunity to showcase themes that are specific to us.
The theme chosen for this edition was "French research in transition." So transitions can refer to many things, starting with ecological transition, I suppose?
Given that the University of Montpellier is very well positioned in the field of ecology, we couldn't ignore this aspect. Research must continue its efforts to integrate this transition into its daily activities, whether in terms of waste management, consumables or fluids, the use of plastics, recycling, etc.
You mentioned current events. What's new for 2021-2022?
The research landscape is undergoing significant change. The research programming law introduced by the previous government, under Frédérique Vidal, is shaking things up considerably by allocating new resources to research. Discussions are underway on the role that universities should play with research organizations, reforms are being made, particularly with regard to doctoral programs, and junior professorships are being created.
What does the doctoral reform involve?
First, there was an increase in doctoral contract salaries, and more recently, a new decree was issued. almost at the time of the symposium, which provides for the introduction of a private-law doctoral contract. This means that doctorates can now be completed in private companies. It is still a little too early to discuss the details, but we are working on it.
And what are junior faculty positions?
These are new contracts that allow for the recruitment of a Professor research professor for a period of 3 to 6 years, who, after evaluation, may be appointed as a full professor. This is very attractive for their careers, especially since they also have a budget of €120,000 to set up a research laboratory.
Transition research also involves a shift toward greater interdisciplinarity. Is this a new way of working for researchers?
Yes, undoubtedly, and it is an extremely interesting development that gives rise to new themes and fields. Nevertheless, this should not be done at the expense of purely fundamental research. We must learn to combine the two and not ignore the new questions raised by this interdisciplinary research.
What does that mean?
Interdisciplinarity can sometimes make certain projects a little more complex to carry out and, above all, to evaluate. It must therefore be well structured so that it can be implemented without lowering the level of research.
Do you think that civil society now expects science to be more applied, to take on more challenges, particularly those related to the ecological crisis?
Yes, there is a lot of talk about participatory science. Research and science must be connected to society: this is an absolute necessity, and research has been working for a long time to provide solutions. But again, this should not be at the expense of purely fundamental research, which must always exist for the advancement of knowledge.
During this symposium, you also mentioned research focused on the Global South. Why is that?
We are fortunate to have IRD and CIRAD in Montpellier and to be able to work with them to establish a strong position in partnership-based research with the Global South. We really wanted to take advantage of this conference, and the visibility it offers us, to reaffirm our commitment in this direction.
The president also mentioned the institutional transition with the UM becoming an experimental public institution (EPE). How does this change things for research?
This obviously changes a lot of things. The continuation of I-SITE Muse and its integration into the experimental public institution has strengthened ties between the University and research organizations, and at the same time brought the research communities closer together. As a former VP, I can say that I-SITE and its transformation into an EPE have given rise to a much more intense dialogue between research organizations and stakeholders in Montpellier.
What is the benefit of such a conference for the University of Montpellier?
Such a conference allows us to assert our attractiveness and visibility, as I said, but that is not the main purpose of this event. We VPs don't often have the opportunity to exchange ideas so easily, and it's not every day that we bring together the president of France Université and the presidents and CEOs of research organizations around the same table. This gives rise to extremely rich discussions on the functioning of research and universities. But while people obviously come for the program, they also come to share a great moment of conviviality and engage in informal exchanges, which is also essential.
- Antoine Petit for the CNRS, Gilles Bloch for Inserm, Valérie Verdier and Elisabeth Clavery de Saint Martin for IRD and CIRAD, Philippe Mauguin for INRAE, and Bruno Sportisse for INRIA. ↩︎