The Université de Lyon

The ENS de Lyon is a founding member of the Université de Lyon, a higher education community grouping 11 universities and top-flight schools in Lyon and Saint-Etienne with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Within the framework of the "Investments in the Future" Programme launched by the French government, the Université de Lyon has sponsored numerous projects. One notable example is the "Excellence Initiatives" (Idex) project, which seeks to develop and promote the excellence of the site and to lay the groundwork for its transformation with the goal of creating the university of tomorrow. The Université de Lyon has enjoyed real success in this area, with some three dozen prize-winning projects and funding amounting to nearly €1 billion.

Furthermore, the Board of Governors of the Université de Lyon approved in May 2012 pursuing the procedure proposed by the French Minister of Higher Education and Research for obtaining an "Excellence Initiatives" label within a period of three years. This procedure, now known as the Avenir Lyon Saint-Étienne Programme (PALSE), will be supported by a grant of €27 million over three years. Funded initiatives favour the site's transformation, furthering its attractiveness, its international influence, its research potential and its training potential.