Milestones in the history of Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA

Since its inception, Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA has been built on seminal events and founding figures over more than seventy years of history.

Values and projects

Management and governance

The origins (1946-1969)
The years of structuring (1969-1989)
Reforms and internationalization (2000 to present)
A living tradition of debate
Directors

The origins (1946-1969)

The history of Grenoble's IEP began in 1946 with the creation of the Centre d'études administratives et politiques (CEAP), attached to the faculties of law and literature, and headed by Jean-Marcel Jeanneney, professor of law and future minister under General de Gaulle.

The latter played a central role in setting up a Centre d'Études Administratives et Politiques in Grenoble. With the support of Pierre Auger, Director of Higher Education at the French Ministry of Education, this center was quickly transformed into the Institut d'Études Politiques.

Read the exchanges between Jean-Marcel Jeanneney and Pierre Auger

In 1948, this center officially became the Institut d'Études Politiques de Grenoble, following the decree of March 4 creating several IEPs in France (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Toulouse). The first intake of students took place on November 8, 1948, with André Mathiot as director.

In 1958, Jean-Louis Quermonne took over as director and prepared for the move of the IEP to its current premises.

Finally, in 1969, a decree gave the IEPs the status of "public scientific and cultural establishments".

The years of structuring (1969-1989)

The 1970s and 1980s were marked by a series of major changes that represented real institutional, pedagogical and social turning points, structuring the organization and very identity of the IEP.

The institute began by extending its premises by 1,000 m² and creating a documentation center in 1970.

At the same time, dialogue bodies have been set up for administrative staff, teachers and students. The Comité Technique Paritaire (CTP ) enables social dialogue between management and staff, while the Commission Permanente Paritaire (CPP) prepares board meetings. First-year students are welcomed through an information cycle, and an alumni association has also been set up, helping to forge links between the generations.

The development of research took shape in 1975 with the creation of CEPES, which later became GREFOSS, headed by Jean-Louis Falcoz-Vigne, following a split.

At the same time, international exchanges were developing, with the first partnerships in 1977, notably with Kingston Polytechnic in London.

In 1981, Frédérique Bon launched the Banque de Données Socio-Politiques (BDSP), which in 1986 became the Centre d'Informatisation des Données Socio-Politiques (CIDSP), directed by Bernard Bouhet after Frédérique Bon's death in 1987.

Teaching also evolved with the creation of new sections, such as the one dedicated to economics and social policy in 1985, and with the establishment of Sciences Po Grenoble Education continue in 1987.

In 1989, a decree gave the IEPG the status of a public administrative establishment, giving it financial autonomy. This autonomy made it possible to formalize its relationship with the Université Pierre Mendès France, which was formalized the following year with the signing of an affiliation agreement.

The 1970s and 1980s saw a strengthening of the IEP's own identity, with many graduates already working in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The institute was now fully established and welcomed a large number of students every year.

Reforms and internationalization (2000 to present)

The Grenoble IEP is implementing the LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorat) system, with studies being extended to five years. The move to the fourth and then fifth years, as part of the Bologna Treaty, aims to harmonize French degrees with those of the European Union. This reform introduces ECTS credits, semestrialization and an international year, requiring a genuine adaptation of the school's culture.

The master's program is expanding, with more than fifteen professionally-oriented Master's programs, all of which include an international year in Master 1, either in the form of an academic year or an internship. Specializations now cover a wide range of fields, including European affairs, journalism, financial engineering, cultural policy, social economics and NGOs, offering students a wide choice of professional specializations.

Since 2008, the IEP has also been participating in the Plan Campus, a scheme initiated by the French Minister of Higher Education to renovate and extend its premises. The aim is to finance the renovation of the first 10 major campus projects. Grenoble was selected as one of the first six campuses.
Initially designed for 400 students, the building, which was built in 1965, now accommodates 2,100 students and over 500 professionals.

A living tradition of debate

In addition to its teaching and research, Sciences Po Grenoble has always stood out for the richness of its intellectual exchanges.

The Institute aims to be a place of open dialogue, where ideas circulate and confront each other in a spirit of pluralism. This tradition of lively debate helps to nurture students' critical thinking and enhance their understanding of major contemporary issues.

Since 1993, numerous personalities from the worlds of politics, academia and business have come to debate at the Cercle de l'IEP :

Pierre Mendès-France in 1967
Jean-Pierre Cot in 1983
Georges Morin in 1991
Paul Bernard, Michel Noir and Jacques Chirac in 1992
Hubert Védrine in 1994
Bernard Kouchner in 1995
Elisabeth Guigou in 2007.

Pierre Mendès-France at the front of the audience in Amphi A (1967)

Pierre Mendès-France in the front row of Amphi A (1967)

Directors

Since the founding of the Institut d'Études Politiques de Grenoble, there has been a succession of directors.