Outline

Last updated: 4/04/08

Since its creation in 1945, Sciences Po’s mission has been to act as a driving force in the development of research in the political sciences, i.e. History, Economics, Sociology, Law and Political Science.

The contributions made by Sciences Po to public debate are well-known. Our research is characterised by a desire to share the knowledge it engenders. The work carried out at our research centres has provided and continues to provide keys for an understanding of change in a world which is increasingly difficult to predict, making the need for reliable points of reference and rigorous methodology more pressing than ever.

Today, research at Sciences Po is characterised by a number of features which make it unique in the panorama of university research in the social, human and economic sciences. Based on a multi-disciplinary approach, it associates and combines skills and know-how from the different social sciences and the humanities.

These academic synergies have led to the formation of a vibrant intellectual community whose scientific advances may be observed in developments in fundamental research and in the progress of expertise. This community is made up of nine research and data centres, 184 researchers and some 1,000 research students at both Master’s and PhD level. Sciences Po also has a university Press which publishes extensively across the social sciences.
The Library at Sciences Po is considered to be one of the top European libraries in the social sciences.

Our researchers work from a comparative and international perspective focussing on issues of major concern in today’s world. They are part of a vibrant, creative community whose mission is to respond and react with speed and accuracy to current events and the constant need for clear and appropriate analysis of the challenges these events pose.