Start of the 2025 academic year – Confirming the desire to study here

Start of the 2025 academic year – Confirming the desire to study hereFor his first academic year as President of Université Bretagne Sud, David Menier shares his thoughts on the year ahead.

As the 2025 academic year begins, we are delighted to welcome 10,000 students to UBS. This figure remains stable and speaks volumes: 60% of these students come from outside Morbihan. This proves that the university is attractive and rooted in an attractive region. Yes, the desire to study here is confirmed.

It is also satisfying to see our new courses proving so successful: STAPS bachelor's degree, Law bachelor's degree with a political science track, DU in thanatopraxy... All are fully booked.

This new academic year also marks the official launch of IAE Bretagne Sud, which we are inaugurating this month. This is a new step in enriching our range of courses alongside the faculties, the IUT and the engineering school. With IAE, we are giving young people the opportunity to pursue high-quality business and management studies, backed by extensive research, at a reasonable cost.

We must repeat this and make it known to young people: In our region, the public higher education system offers solid training programmes.

However, there are concerns: Everywhere, the weight of science is declining. I am the president of a university, but also a professor and a researcher. Like many others, I observe that the place of science is generally declining in public debates. It is essential to reaffirm it, to make it accessible, alive and useful to all.

David Menier, during his press conference.

At UBS, we have 14 laboratories and more than 600 teaching staff and research professors. From climate to economics, engineering to law, health to humanities and social sciences, their work advances knowledge, enriches our teaching, informs public policy and helps transform everyday life.

That is why we are pursuing a clear path: to further open to society and our territory. Our university has now been awarded the Science with and for Society label. This year again, the Planète Conférences series of lectures promises to be particularly rich. Other scientific outreach activities will take place throughout the year.

We will soon be consolidating a new project: a transition sustainable Campus, linked to the sea, in the Gulf of Morbihan. A place to understand and take action, to widely share the keys to the world to come.