New governance at PSL University: restructuring and revitalization

In line with President El Mouhoub Mouhoud's program, the new executive committee (comex) is designed to respond to current scientific (risky research, innovation), societal, and geopolitical challenges. It structures the University's activities around core vice-presidencies and cross-functional vice-presidencies, with the aim of making collegiality and inter-institutional cooperation the driving forces behind a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact university.  

The Executive Committee comprises six vice presidents and four deputy vice presidents :  

• Anne Christophe, Vice President of Research & Innovation,
• Alexandre Allauzen, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Training, and Attractiveness,
• Jennifer Heurley, Vice President of International Affairs and Cooperation,
• Sabine Cantournet, Vice President of RSU and Ecological Transition,
• Cédric Denis-Rémis, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Financial Sustainability,
• Pierre Senellart, Vice President of Digital Infrastructure and IT Convergence
• Stéphane Verger, Deputy Vice President to the Vice President of Research & Innovation, in charge of Arts & Humanities
• Michael Tatoulian, Vice President Delegate to the Vice President of Research and Innovation, in charge of Innovation,
• Dorothée Butigieg, Vice President Delegate to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Training, and Attractiveness, in charge of Undergraduate Studies and Equal Opportunity.

A vice president reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Training, and Attractiveness, responsible for student life and campus life, will be appointed shortly.  

New members :  

Alexandre Allauzen, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Training, and Attractiveness

Alexandre Allauzen is a professor of computer science at ESPCI Paris – PSL, a researcher at LAMSADE at Dauphine – PSL, and a member of PR[AI]RIE Paris School of AI. His research focuses on machine learning applied to language and speech processing, fields in which he has published numerous recognized works. He holds a PhD in signal processing and is qualified to supervise research in computer science. He held various academic positions at French institutions before joining PSL, where he leads several programs in artificial intelligence and data science (DATA cross-disciplinary program). He is heavily involved in structuring research and training (scientific director of the CMA-IA program) and actively contributes to the scientific community by promoting interdisciplinary exchanges and supporting the development of artificial intelligence for science.
 

Sabine Cantournet, Vice President of RSU and Ecological Transition 

 Sabine CantournetSabine Cantournet is Director of Research at the Materials Center at Mines Paris – PSL, an expert in the physical and mechanical modeling of elastomers and polymers. After completing her thesis at Sorbonne University (2003), she joined the Materials Center as a lecturer and researcher. In 2006, she left for a long stay at MIT as an assistant professor and continued this collaboration by co-supervising theses. Creator and holder of the DEEP industrial chair, she created and directed the Carnot Mines project on the recyclability of polymers (2020 & 2023). She is co-author of 45 publications and 3 patents. Responsible for teaching general engineering at Mines Paris – PSL (2014-2022), she participated in the Stanford-France exchange program and the Research – Entrepreneurship quarter. She served as Vice President of Training and Equal Opportunities at PSL University from March 2024 to September 2025.
 

Pierre Senellart, Vice President of Digital Infrastructure and IT Convergence

Content generated by AI may be incorrect. Pierre Senellart is a professor of computer science at École normale supérieure – PSL, where he heads the Valda team. A specialist in data management, the web, and artificial intelligence, he holds the PRAIRIE Chair in Data Management. Deeply involved in education, he is also co-coordinator of PSL's Graduate Program in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and teaches in the IASD (Artificial Intelligence and Data Science) master's program. A graduate of ENS-PSL and holder of a PhD in computer science from Paris-Saclay University (Faculty of Sciences of Orsay), he obtained his accreditation to supervise research in 2012. His work has made major contributions to the field of probabilistic databases and uncertainty management. Author of numerous scientific publications, he is a junior member of the Institut universitaire de France (2020–2025) and the recipient of several scientific awards.

Michael Tatoulian, Deputy Vice President to the Vice President for Research and Innovation, in charge of innovation

Michael Tatoulian is a university professor in chemical engineering and Deputy Director of Chimie ParisTech-PSL (2015-2025), in charge of corporate relations and innovation. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from Pierre and Marie Curie University (1995) and is accredited to supervise research (2005). He was also an associate professor at Laval University (Quebec) from 2005 to 2009. A specialist in plasmas applied to chemical processes and miniaturized systems, he is involved in the development of technological solutions for fine chemicals, energy conversion, and industry. An entrepreneur, he co-founded Energo, a startup specializing in the conversion of CO₂ into CH₄ using a hybrid plasma-catalytic reactor. His next goal is to launch a new startup, PlasChem, with the ambition of responding to industrial applications in the pharmaceutical and flavor/fragrance sectors. Since 2020, he has been director of the Carnot IPGG Microfluidics Institute.

Dorothée Butigieg, Deputy Vice President to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Training, and Attractiveness, in charge of undergraduate studies and equal opportunities 

Content generated by AI may be incorrect. Since June 2024, Dorothée Butigieg has been Academic Director of PSL's College of Science, Humanities, and Society, which brings together PSL's four CPES programs and the Bachelor's degree in Science for a Sustainable World. An English teacher and former student of ENS Cachan, she has been teaching at the École normale supérieure – PSL since 2004. She has held several positions at ENS-PSL (Director of Studies in Literature and Humanities, Director of Student Life). She is deeply committed to issues of pedagogy, as well as to supporting and welcoming neuroatypical individuals in the programs where she works.

The appointments of the new vice presidents and deputy vice presidents were approved by the boards of directors on June 26 and September 4, 2025. They took office at the start of the 2025 academic year and will sit alongside the other members of the presidential team.