In 2022, Sciences Po will celebrate its 150th anniversary. For 150 years, as its founder intended, our institution has been educating free thinkers capable of understanding the world—and transforming it for the better.
The upheavals of the contemporary world demand that we respond to unprecedented crises. But they also offer remarkable opportunities. The time is right for Sciences Po to assert its role as a pioneer in higher education. The ambitious 150th Anniversary Campaign launched in 2018 will give us the impetus we need for an in-depth reinvention. While remaining true to our unique identity and history, we need to scale up to secure our place among the world’s finest universities, so we can discover and train the responsible, creative leaders of tomorrow.
A CHANGING WORLD
An unprecedented crisis
The rise of populism, the migration crisis, environmental degradation and deepening inequalities: these increasingly inter-related issues all provoke strong public reactions. This unprecedented situation has resulted in a crisis of legitimacy among decision-makers and experts, leading the most vulnerable populations to feel that they are being abandoned to their fate.
An academic world in motion
The impetus that is emerging today is characterised by greater international openness, a move towards sharing objectives and resources, and the combination of three priorities: research designed to guide decision-making; a multi-disciplinary approach for the cross-fertilisation of perspectives; and impact research via the research – training – experimentation continuum.
A youth in search of renewal
Today’s students expect their studies to have both meaning and relevance, paving the way to a future where they can make a real impact on the world. They are even more concerned than their predecessors about putting humanity at the heart of their thought processes. They favour an entrepreneurial approach where agility and getting results count most.
150 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
For 150 years, Sciences Po has developed a track record as a responsible and creative university. Today, it is one of Europe’s largest social science universities, able to offer answers to major questions raised by the upheavals of contemporary society, training the elites that will transform the world in the future.
A long-standing commitment with continued relevance
Firmly grounded in the heart of the city, faithful to its tradition of diversity and multidisciplinarity, Sciences Po maintains a strategy geared towards its founding goal: to train open-minded decision-makers with both vision and pragmatism. Combining thought with action, Sciences Po is a place where knowledge in the human and social sciences is not only produced and shared, but is also used to confront the complexity of the world.
A university with an international outlook
Sciences Po is one of the most international universities in Europe with 49% foreign students. Our teaching and degrees are highly reputed throughout Europe and the world. Our remarkable university network features 478 partnerships with leading institutions and an ambitious policy of innovative, interdisciplinary dual degrees.
The common good at the core of our actions
Sciences Po was founded to educate a new generation of stakeholders in society. It is also a pioneer in the development of projects that promote social innovation and inclusion, whether in access to culture, education or healthcare.Working for the common good is what unites all our stakeholders.
A pioneer in higher education
Since it was founded nearly 150 years ago, Sciences Po has never stopped reinventin itself. More than anything, Sciences Po today is a place where new ideas can be put forward and implemented. This flair for innovation is one of our trademarks and contributes to our attractiveness, in France and around the world.
OUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE
In the autumn of 2018, Sciences Po launched the largest fundraising campaign in its history. Our goal is to raise €100 million in time for the institution’s 150 anniversary and the inauguration of the new 1, Saint-Thomas campus in Paris in 2022.
This ambitious operation, dubbed Sciences Po 2022, the 150th Anniversary Campaign, seeks support from both individual and corporate donors so we can achieve the momentum needed to reinvent Sciences Po for future generations. This means fostering student diversity, strengthening our global reach, and constantlty innovating and experimenting to advance knowledge and bring forth the change-makers of tomorrow. A successful 150th Anniversary Campaign will enable Sciences Po to be come the most sought-after, responsible, and creative of France’s selective universities for the next 20, 50, or 150 years.
International reach
With €70 million already secured, €30 million is still to be raised over the next three years. This unprecedented challenge calls for us to develop our activities internationally, beyond the US and the UK. In 2019, we are reaching out to other countries in Europe (Belgium, Switzerland, etc.), and in Asia and the Middle East.
Getting everyone on board
This campaign is an extraordinary opportunity to rally the entire Sciences Po community. Alumni, in particular, have a crucial part to play in ensuring that future generations continue to benefit from an excellent education suited to the challenges of their time.
We must keep up with a world in rapid transformation, in order to shape the leaders of tomorrow.
Our ambition is to embody a unique form of excellence and responsibility, within a globalised hub
of higher education and research.
