Climate and the wider Earth system are the subjects that gave rise to the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, usually shortened to IPSL. It was created in the 1990s by Gérard Mégie and his colleagues as a federation of research laboratories in the Paris region.
The institute does not operate as a single campus. Its laboratories are supervised by a large group of bodies that includes the CNRS, Sorbonne Université, the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), the CEA, CNES, IRD and the École Polytechnique. About 1,400 people belong to it, spread across sites in Île-de-France such as the Jussieu campus in Paris, Palaiseau and the UVSQ campus in the Yvelines.
The research programme covers the climate system, climate change and its impacts, and Earth system processes, and it extends to the exploration of the solar system. Teaching takes place through the IPSL Climate Graduate School, which offers education built on this research; training courses are offered in many institutions of the Paris area.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Federation of research labs (e.g., LMD, LOCEAN, LSCE). Member universities include Sorbonne Université, PSL, UVSQ, UPSaclay, X, ENS.
Research:
Climate modeling and projections, Atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, Oceanography and biogeochemical cycles, Paleoclimatology, Earth observation for climate.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500 (researchers across labs)
Current students***:
300 (PhD students)
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
World-leading federation for climate science research, coordinates major climate modeling efforts, strong graduate programs via member universities.
Cons
Federation structure, education delivered through member institutions.
Best For
Federation of leading climate science research laboratories, offering graduate education through member universities.
Observatoire de Paris - PSL, also public and Paris-based, studies astronomy, space science and planetology, close to the IPSL's interest in the solar system.
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle covers earth sciences and ecology as well as evolutionary biology.
Sorbonne Université, one of the IPSL's supervising bodies, teaches physics, chemistry, biology and earth sciences in Paris.
Université Paris-Saclay, a public university in the Essonne area, offers physics, mathematics and engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Universität Hamburg (Germany) is a public university with climate and earth system science among its fields.
University of Reading, in the United Kingdom, is public and known in its listing for meteorology and agriculture.
University of Helsinki (Finland) lists atmospheric science next to life sciences and computer science.
Dalhousie University (Canada) is public and centres on ocean studies, health professions and law.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
What is the IPSL and how did it come about?
It is a federation of research laboratories studying the climate and the Earth system. Gérard Mégie and colleagues created it in the 1990s.
Is the IPSL a university with its own campus?
Not in the usual sense. It brings together laboratories hosted by several universities and research organisations, with sites around Île-de-France including Paris, Palaiseau and the UVSQ campus.
Which organisations supervise its laboratories?
The list includes the CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UVSQ, the CEA, CNES, IRD and the École Polytechnique, among others. This broad partnership is a defining trait of the institute.
How many people work within it?
The institute reports about 1,400 members.
What does the IPSL study?
Its themes include the climate system, climate change and its impacts, and the processes of the Earth system. It also takes part in the exploration of the solar system.
Where can a student receive training linked to the institute?
The IPSL Climate Graduate School provides education based on climate research. Training courses are offered in many institutions of the Paris area, whose pages explain admission.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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