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| Conseil national de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (CNESER) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conseil national de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Type | Advisory council |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Region served | France |
| Parent organisation | Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation |
Conseil national de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (CNESER) is a French national advisory council that provided opinions on higher education and research policy, institutional accreditation, and personnel matters. It served as a consultative body to the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and interacted with universities, research organizations, and parlementary committees. The CNESER's work intersected with legislation and policy initiatives from bodies such as the Conseil d'État, the Cour des comptes, and parliamentary commissions.
The CNESER was established within the framework of reforms initiated in the 1980s affecting Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, and other institutions, following precedents set by advisory entities like the Conseil national de la recherche scientifique and reports from commissions linked to the Ministry of National Education. Its remit evolved under successive laws including the Loi Savary, the Loi relative aux libertés et responsabilités des universités, and later the Loi Fioraso, responding to pressures from stakeholders such as the Conférence des présidents d'université, the Confédération des organismes de recherche, and representative unions like the Confédération générale du travail and Fédération syndicale unitaire. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the CNESER advised on reforms that affected relationships with entities like the Centre national de la recherche scientifique and the Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale.
As an advisory body created by decree and ministerial regulation, CNESER's legal status derived from texts promulgated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and administrative oversight from the Conseil d'État. Its organizational chart referenced rules similar to those applied at Université Paris-Saclay and governance codes used by the Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur. The council operated under statutes aligning with French public law traditions exemplified by institutions such as the Palais-Royal and administrative jurisprudence from the Conseil constitutionnel.
CNESER's formal functions encompassed issuing opinions on drafts of national plans, institutional statutes, and personnel matters, paralleling advisory tasks performed by international bodies such as the European Commission and consultative councils like the National Science Board in the United States. It reviewed statutes for establishments including École Normale Supérieure and École Polytechnique, gave opinions on budgets linked to the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, and evaluated accreditation dossiers comparable to processes conducted by the Agence d'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur. The council also examined matters tied to funding mechanisms such as the Programme d'investissements d'avenir and interdisciplinary initiatives involving actors like INRIA and CNRS.
Membership combined elected representatives from institutions such as Université Paris-Sorbonne, appointed experts from organizations like CNRS and INSERM, and ministerial appointees drawn from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and occasional delegates from the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat. Seats were often occupied by presidents of universities, directors of grandes écoles including Sciences Po and HEC Paris, leaders from research institutions such as CEA, and representatives of professional associations and unions like UNEF. Ex officio members could include figures from the Haut Conseil and legal experts who had served at the Conseil d'État.
Meetings followed procedural rules similar to plenary deliberations in bodies like the Conseil économique, social et environnemental, with agendas prepared by a bureau modelled on practices at Conseil régional de Île-de-France. Decisions were typically adopted by majority vote, with specific quorum requirements mirroring statutes applied in university councils at institutions such as Université de Strasbourg and Université de Lyon. The CNESER produced written opinions and minutes that informed ministerial decrees, ministerial circulars, and answers to questions posed in the Assemblée nationale.
The CNESER interacted closely with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, advising ministers and coordinating with executive services including the Direction générale de la recherche et de l'innovation. It engaged with research organizations like CNRS, INSERM, and INRIA, universities such as Université Grenoble Alpes and Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, and with funding bodies like the Agence nationale de la recherche. The council's opinions were considered by parliamentary rapporteurs during legislative debates in the Sénat and by administrative judges at the Conseil d'État when disputes about institutional governance arose.
Critics from organizations including Confédération des jeunes chercheurs and student bodies such as Unef argued that the CNESER was insufficiently representative and too slow to respond to reforms promoted by ministers associated with laws like the Loi Fioraso. Proposals for reform referenced comparative models from the European University Association and suggested restructuring along lines similar to the Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur or enhanced transparency like audits by the Cour des comptes. Subsequent reconfigurations of advisory arrangements reflected debates among stakeholders including presidents of Université Paris-Est Créteil and directors of CNRS laboratories, leading to institutional changes in advisory practices.