The Civic University

Do we have to heap abuse on French universities and make it bear sole responsibility for the malfunctioning of our society in terms of training and finding suitable employment for young graduates?
French higher education, which is often criticized and frequently revamped, has nonetheless displayed a remarkable ability to adapt to the needs of a constantly growing student body and has maintained an excellent level of training and education.
French universities, by dint of expanding their intake tenfold over two decades, have become, without necessarily preparing themselves for the task, a major instrument for the social integration of young people after they leave school.
But this mass integration has been achieved at the cost of difficulties that the profession is finding it hard to overcome.
To help the universities carry out their civic mission to the full, should we not pay more attention to those upon whom its day-to-day life depends: the teachers, researchers, students and parents? Would not the best solutions be found by listening more to what the academic world has to say and giving individual institutions greater independence?
Gérard Tobelem, who is both an informed observer and a committed academic, brings to the issue a clear-eyed and enthusiastic viewpoint based on his full understanding of the institution.