Professor Alain Fuchs, Former President of ²ÝÁñÂÛ̳, has Passed
It is with great sadness that we learned the passing of Professor Alain Fuchs during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The entire ²ÝÁñÂÛ̳ community extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
(Update on 2024, December 11th)
Paris, December, 11th :
The Board of Directors expresses its deep sadness at the announcement of the passing of Professor Alain Fuchs, former president of ²ÝÁñÂÛ̳ and the PSL Foundation.
As head of the CNRS from 2010 to 2017, Alain Fuchs was a prominent figure in Higher Education and Research (HER), both nationally and internationally. He played a key role in reshaping the French academic landscape, particularly through initiatives such as the Idex and iSites programs.
His exceptional leadership and vision, deeply rooted in a historical and international perspective of HER, seamlessly extended to his presidency of PSL from 2017 to 2024.
During his term as university president, PSL emerged as a leading interdisciplinary research university nationally and internationally. PSL institutionalized the Initiative of Excellence, completed its experimental phase, and launched transformative strategic initiatives. These included the establishment of graduate programs, flagship research initiatives, the PariSanté Campus, and shared services designed to benefit the entire PSL community. Additionally, PSL achieved remarkable success in securing funding through France 2030’s calls for proposals.
The Executive Board extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones, and former colleagues.
The members of the PSL Board of Directors
²ÝÁñÂÛ̳ and its entire scientific, student and administrative community
To share a tribute or a testimonial : hommage-alainfuchs@psl.eu
Alain Fuchs
Professor Fuchs, a graduate of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and holder of a State Doctorate, was a renowned researcher in the field of physical chemistry. His academic career spanned both national and international institutions, with stays and invitations to the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College, UC Santa Barbara, TU Berlin, and NTU Singapore.
Throughout his career, Professor Fuchs held numerous prestigious roles, including as a CNRS research director, professor, founder and director of laboratories (Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique at Université Paris-Sud, now Université Paris-Saclay), director of ENSCP-PSL from 2006 to 2010, chair of the external chemistry agrégation from 1998 to 2001, chair of Section 13 of the National Committee for Scientific Research from 2004 to 2008, and president of the CNRS from 2010 to 2017.
As President of ²ÝÁñÂÛ̳ and the PSL Foundation from 2017 to 2024, Professor Fuchs played a pivotal role in the establishment of a Humboldtian-style university model in France, which emphasized a close integration of education with cutting-edge research. His presidency was marked by significant achievements, including securing the Idex label, advancing PSL beyond its experimental phase, launching graduate programs, and enhancing the institution’s international reputation.