Keeping books alive: Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, a key patron of Sciences Po

Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, the CEO of French holding company FIMALAC and a major patron of the arts, has shown his support for Sciences Po’s activities by making a donation to the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP). His generous contribution to the purchase and promotion of books in the humanities and social sciences will enable Sciences Po to take ambitious new steps in its policy for disseminating knowledge. In particular, the donation will go towards the new Sciences Po bookshop opening in the heart of the historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood in September 2021.

The donation will support one of Sciences Po’s most crucial missions: the publication and dissemination of research. It is driven by a firm conviction that academic research developed in direct dialogue with society, and which sheds light on contemporary issues in all their complexity, is essential to public debate.

Located at 30 rue Saint-Guillaume in Paris, the Sciences Po Librairie holds a vast collection of social science publications. The bookshop’s 2,500,000 printed and 785,000 digital books include texts in French and English, recommended and required reading and, often, books written by the teachers and researchers of Sciences Po. In addition to bibliographies and preparatory textbooks for civil service exams, the bookshop also offers a huge choice of books on the social sciences, humanities, literature and art, as well as graphic novels and documentary films. Its doors are as open to the institution's students and professors as to any member of the general public. The Librairie will be moving to a new and larger space on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, at the centre of Sciences Po’s Paris campus, in 2021.

Return books to the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

“I am thrilled that Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière has made this contribution to the FNSP”, says Laurence Bertrand Dorléac, the foundation’s President. “His donation will allow us to take new steps in one of our crucial missions: the publication of social science research and dissemination of knowledge. At a time when printed books and bookshops are under pressure from changes in reading habits and the current health crisis, his support is essential.”

For Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, “It is a source of great pride to be supporting Sciences Po and contributing to the transmission of knowledge in the social and political sciences, while strengthening the place of bookshops in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a neighbourhood so cherished by intellectuals and artists. It made perfect sense for me: for many years, bookshops in the neighbourhood have increasingly been replaced by clothing and fast food outlets. In funding this project, I wanted to reverse that trend and pay tribute to the intellectuals, writers and artists who enlivened and immortalised Saint-Germain-des-Prés.” 

Founder of the Fondation Culture & Diversité, de Lacharrière is a key patron of the arts and culture in France, including the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac. A graduate of Sciences Po, he has taught economics, marketing and communication at the university, and previously sat on the FNSP’s Board of Directors as one of the representatives selected for their economic and cultural activities.

Find out more:

• Read the press release (fr)
• More about donors and funding at Sciences Po