Insmi's orientation council meets for the first time in December 2024
On December 9, 2024, Insmi's orientation council met for the first time with its full committee. Among other things, this is an important meeting to define a national strategy for French mathematical research.
Officially created in 2010, the Institut national des sciences mathématiques et de leurs interaction (Insmi) is one of 3 CNRS institutes with a national mission. A decree issued by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research defines Insmi's missions and provides for the creation of an orientation council, which last met in 2012.
“Successive Insmi managements have mainly implemented the first article of the decree, which describes the national mission of animation and coordination in the field of mathematics. We still had to implement the other articles,” explains Christophe Besse, Director of Insmi. “So I relaunched the project to bring the orientation council together, and we worked to adapt the conditions of membership to the current situation".
Order of June 28, 2010 concerning the CNRS Insmi
Official Bulletin No. 45 of November 28, 2024
Four objectives set out in the decree
Article 3 of the decree specifies what the orientation council must base its work on:
- The major scientific orientations of the national institute;
- The establishment and monitoring of partnerships with the various organizations involved in the national missions of the national institute;
- The national institute's budget;
- Issues relating to the operation of the national institute.
Update on committee membership
The steering committee is made up of 24 members:
- 10 ex-officio members ;
- 8 members appointed from among leading mathematical scientists and the socio-economic world;
- 6 appointed members, from research assessment bodies (CoNRS and Conseil national des universités).
As some of these bodies no longer exist, article 4 of the decree was updated prior to their appearance in the official bulletin of November 08, 2024.
“We decided to take the decree as it was conceived in 2010, but to adapt it to the current situation,” explains Christophe Besse. “ In my view, this policy council should be the orchestra conductor for French mathematical research. It's the place where universities, Grandes Ecoles, major partners, the French government and the Secrétariat Général pour l'Investissement (SGPI) come together to think about France's strategy for higher education and research in mathematics".
In the decree, the chairman of the Orientation Council is specified as being the CNRS CEO, i.e. Antoine Petit. In order to go beyond the CNRS and transform this steering committee into a tool with a supra-instance dimension, it was agreed that an internationally renowned scientist would assume the executive presidency: Hugo Duminil-Copin. “I hope to have the opportunity to put my expertise in French and Swiss research to good use, and to contribute, in my own way, to the smooth running of Insmi ”, says Hugo Duminil-Copin. “I was honored by Christophe Besse's proposal, and I'm already looking forward to actively contributing to the smooth running of this steering committee".
A first meeting of the steering committee
The aim of the December 9, 2024 meeting is to:
- Present the updated decree;
- Take stock of the strengths of mathematical research in France, based on the results of the Assises;
- Begin to question committee members on future challenges and strategic orientations.
What's next?
The aim of this first meeting is to launch a movement that will continue at the rate specified in the decree, i.e. twice a year. “Once the strategic orientations have been established, they will have to be implemented and returned to the committee for progress reports, possible amendments, a review of their direction, and so on. Not everything will be finalized at this first meeting ”, concludes Christophe Besse.