Mines Saint-Étienne staff gathered on September 15 and 22 for the School’s General Assembly. This was an opportunity for Director Jacques Fayolle to provide a realistic assessment, a few weeks after the start of the academic year.
A Paradigm Shift to Address Current Challenges
The assembly began with the introduction of new team members. In this context of change, the contribution of staff was particularly valued. The Director emphasized their involvement, particularly in the diversity mission, but also in an economic environment that calls for Mines Saint-Étienne to evolve. True to its public service DNA, the School intends to revisit its public-private funding model, relying more heavily on corporate support.
To support these directions, two new departments have been established: the Development Department, led by Antoine Lavignotte, and the Performance and Valorization Department, under the responsibility of Éric Duflot. At the same time, the launch of the PdiS program (Preparatory and Degree-Granting Cycle in Engineering and Health) generated remarkable enthusiasm, with over 600 applications for 55 selected students.
Successes and Prospects for the Coming Year
The review of this demanding curriculum was followed by a focus on the rankings that distinguished Mines Saint-Étienne in 2025. Rankings are indeed an essential exercise for higher education institutions: they allow them to measure their position against their objectives and their competitors. Mines Saint-Étienne notably ranks 40th worldwide in THE’s “small universities” ranking.
These successes are accompanied by a strengthening of the internal quality approach. The quality team presented its strategy for optimizing departmental operations and formalizing procedures, referring to the performance management principles defined by ISO 9001, without, however, seeking this certification.
Finally, to conclude this General Assembly, upcoming projects and key dates for the year were shared, aiming to mobilize all staff and extend the dynamic of commitment praised at the session’s opening.
