Former president of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the PSL University (Paris Sciences & Lettres), the Franco-Swiss chemist Alain Fuchs died on December 8, Paris, at the age of 71. The CNRS welcomed, in a press release, “a personality committed to serving higher education and research in France”.
Born in Switzerland and trained at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, he joined the University of Paris-Sud for his thesis. His career, which began in experimental chemistry with the study of the thermodynamic properties of high-pressure fluids, continued with the development of theoretical chemistry consisting of computer modeling of the structures and interactions between molecules. A pioneer in France on this topic, he became an expert in the study of the properties of various porous molecules such as metal-organic networks or zeolites, promising for gas storage for example. In particular, he is interested in the behavior of fluids in these confined environments.
Very fundamental, this work remained closely linked to experiments, and some was also carried out in collaboration with industrial groups, such as Total or GDF Suez. Despite his numerous management positions, he will never completely stop teaching and, above all, doing research; his latest work was released in December 2023.
Director of research at the CNRS, then university professor, he directed the National School of Chemistry of Paris, which became Chimie ParisTech, from 2006 to 2010, before taking the helm of the CNRS from 2010 to 2017.
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He succeeded Catherine Bréchignac and became the first president and CEO of the organization, following a reform of its governance, merging the former positions of president and CEO. It will organize the CNRS into ten institutes and will support the deployment of various structures of excellence with universities, initiatives of excellence (IdEx) and the Science-Innovation-Territories-Economy Initiatives (Isite), which strengthen the links between organizations research and universities. With his stature as a former rugby player, he did not hesitate to speak up to defend his institution, criticizing for example, in 2012, an evaluation report of the organization, or, the same year, an analysis of the Academy of sciences deeming the CNRS too bureaucratic.
Criticism of public authorities
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