Headquarter of the presidency of the university, Orsay, France
Paris-Sud University (French: Université Paris-Sud), also known as the University of Paris — XI (or as the Université d'Orsay before 1971), was a French research university distributed among several campuses in the southern suburbs of Paris, including Orsay, Cachan, Châtenay-Malabry, Sceaux, and Kremlin-Bicêtre campuses. In 2020, the university was replaced by the Paris-Saclay University.[1]
On 16 January 2019, Alain Sarfati was elected President of the Université Paris-Sud. He succeeded Sylvie Retailleau, who was elected as President of ComUE Université Paris-Saclay.[2]
History
Paris-Sud was originally part of the University of Paris, which was subsequently split into several universities. After World War II, the rapid growth of nuclear physics and chemistry meant that research needed more and more powerful accelerators, which required large areas. The University of Paris, the École normale supérieure and the Collège de France looked for space in the south of Paris near Orsay. Later some of the teaching activity of the Faculty of Sciences in Paris was transferred to Orsay in 1956 at the request of Irène Joliot-Curie and Frédéric Joliot-Curie. The rapid increase of students led to the independence of the Orsay Center on 1 March 1965 (sometimes called "Université d'Orsay" thereafter). The institution became the "University of Paris-Sud (Paris XI)" in 1971.
Paris-Sud also comprised biology and chemistry laboratories, engineering and technology schools and had established partnerships with many of the surrounding technology centres and Grandes Ecoles. It also included Schools of Law, Economics and Management.
Aristides Baltas, philosopher of science, physicist, and former Minister of Culture and Sports of Greece, as well as Minister of Education and Religious Affairs
Katarina Barley, German politician and lawyer, current Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection in the fourth Cabinet of Angela Merkel
Paris-Sud was ranked 1st in France, 9th in Europe and 37th worldwide by the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).[16] (5th in Mathematics, 9th in Physics worldwide).
In October 2015, The University of Paris Sud has been ranked 10th best university worldwide in the Times Higher Education Under 50[17] which is a ranking of the world top 100 universities under 50 years old.
QS Ranking has ranked the University 262nd in the world, 97th in Natural Science, 101-150th in Medicine and 285th in Engineering and Technology.[18]
