Five winners of the call for proposals for the emergence of EELISA communities

Last June, PSL launched a call for proposals to support the creation of EELISA (European Engineering Learning Innovation & Science Alliance) communities.

Based on the major challenges of sustainable development and the priorities of the Horizon Europe program, EELISA communities are multidisciplinary groups where members of the academic world, scientists and independant partners join forces to conduct a collective thinking on the major academic, scientific, economic and/or societal challenges.

Five community projects, involving six PSL Component Schools and partners, are the winners of this call. They will benefit from ANR funding allocated to PSL as part of its actions within the European University EELISA and they will be extended to EELISA partners to strengthen the European scope of their initiatives.

PSL-EELISA communities:

• Community “Innovation and Design in European engineering education”

Led by Pascal Le Masson, a Professor at Mines Paris - PSL.
Other EELISA community members : Benoit Weil, (professor, Mines Paris - PSL), Maxime Thomas, (postdoctoral fellow, Mines Paris - PSL), Kathrin Moeslein (professor, Friedrich Alexander Universität - FAU - German EELISA partner)

Challenge: To create a network of academics, professors, practitioners and public managers to develop innovation and design in engineering education, based on the most advanced scientific practices and models.

Upcoming events: Monthly seminar on innovation and design in European engineering education: history, students' expectations, employers' expectations, society's expectations, innovative practices.

• Community "ENC - Environment, Concepts, Norms"

Led by Roberto Casati, Director of the Jean-Nicod Institute, ENS - PSL
Other PSL community members: Sacha Bourgeois-Gironde (professor), Eva Wanek (PhD student), Quentin Hiernaux (post-doctoral fellow), Clémence Pichon (internship), Emilie Maille (internship). Institut Jean Nicod (ENS - PSL).

Challenge: Working on the combination between concepts and norms: conceptualizations of the environment and norms that can support effective change.

Upcoming events: Organization of a symposium with young European researchers on the paradigm shift needed for transition.
Working to build the state of the art on reconceptualizations of nature.

• Community “STAR – Sustainable Territories through Action and Research”

Led by Emmanuèle Cunningham Sabot, Professor at ENS - PSL.
Other PSL community members: Isabelle Chesneau (Associate Professor, ENSA Paris Malaquais), Norma Schemschat (doctoral researcher and teacher, ENS - PSL), Alix de la Gaignonnière (doctoral researcher and teacher, ENS - PSL).

Challenge: Train tomorrow's experts in sustainable urban development through an integrated method of knowledge and practices.

Upcoming events: Organization of a seminar of the Mondes professionnels de l'aménagement to introduce students to the theories and practices of sustainable manufacturing of the contemporary city.
Explorations du Grand Paris durable, to study and understand in the field how the urbanization process in large globalized cities.
Participation in the international C40 competition, to give students the opportunity to develop an urban project aimed at the re-designing neighborhoods, in order to make them more sustainable.

• Community "Materials and Objects for a Sustainable World"

Led by Aurélie Zita, assistant to the director of studies, international relations, EnsAD
Other PSL community membersy: Alexandre Fougea (engineer, designer, teacher, EsnAD), Domitille Giaume (lecturer, ENSCP - PSL), Odile Majérus (lecturer, ENSCP - PSL), Jasha Oosterbaan (Mines Paris - PSL), Patrick Renaud Designer (teacher, EnsAD).

Challenge: To form a crossdisciplinary community of researchers, teachers and students to imagine the design and conception of materials and objects from an environmental and societal angle, with the human being at the center of the project.

Upcoming events: Organization of a competition on sustainable development,
Organization of a seminar on Ecodesign - better designing our everyday objects.

• Comminuty "Alternative bio-based materials in textiles"

Other PSL community members: Darja Richter (professor and coordinator of the PSL Fashion & Materials Master's degree; ENSAD); Pascaline Wilhelm (in charge of development and partnerships, PSL); Cédric Dalmasso (assistant professor, Mines Paris - PSL)

Challenge: Support the creation of new value chains based on alternative bio-based materials, particularly in the textile sector, witha a cross-disciplinary method.
Upcoming events: Implementation of a cross-school teaching project.
Organization of an interdisciplinary research seminar to consolidate the community in connection with professional partners.