Université Paris Sciences et Lettres

Between 2011 and 2012, ten new institutions joined the foundation: Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, La Fémis, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Foundation for Research, Institut Curie, Institut Louis-Bachelier, MINES ParisTech and Université Paris-Dauphine.[5]
Their arrival reinforced PSL's scientific potential in the fields of engineering, biology, the arts, and management. In 2014, another four institutions specializing in humanities and social science joined the association: École Française d'Extrême-Orient, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), École Nationale des Chartes, and École Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE).[6]
In 2015, PSL organized itself into a university community (ComUE: PSL Research University).[7] PSL began awarding PhDs at that point.

In 2010, the French government launched a call for proposals to boost higher education: the Investing for the Future program (also called the grand emprunt). PSL has successfully responded to several calls for proposals. In 2011, with the Initiatives for Excellence call for proposals, PSL was one of the first three projects selected,[8][9] along with Université de Bordeaux and Université de Strasbourg.[10]

Although the project's diverse participants have sometimes been cited as a weakness, PSL's proponents emphasize the complementary nature of its institutions and the potential for collaboration.[11] This funding has supported the creation of 11 Laboratories of excellence (Labex) within PSL: CelTisPhyBio, DCBIOL, DEEP, DYNAMO, ENS-ICFP, ESEP, IEC, IPGG, MemoLife, TransferS, and WIFI. In 2014, the Corail, HaStec, and TEPSIS Labex laboratories joined the list with EHESS and EPHE becoming members of PSL. Also in 2011, PSL's institutions presented projects under the "Equipped with excellence" (Equipex) program. Of the 10 initial submissions, they were granted 8 Equipex facilities: BEDOFIH, D-FIH, Equip@Meso, ICGex, IPGG, Paris-en-Resonnance, Planaqua, Ultrabrain. These projects received funding in amounts ranging from €2 to €10 million.

In 2017, after a detailed process of consideration, 9 institutions agreed to set up an integrated budget and a multi-year strategy for academic recruitment, as well as to create a number of shared platforms and services. Chimie ParisTech, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale Supérieure, École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, ESPCI Paris, Institut Curie, Observatoire de Paris, MINES ParisTech, Université Paris-Dauphine decided to jointly form Université PSL with a unified strategy, integrated budget, and coordinated human resources policy. The agreement approved by their respective boards calls for the schools and institutions that form the university to adopt a unified strategy, submit to the budgetary authority of the university president, jointly plan their recruitment, and transfer all of their diplomas to PSL. Towards the end of the process, in 2018, one of the former members, EHESS, did not approve the new statutes and decided not to be part of the target University.[12]

Beaux-Arts de Paris, Collège de France, Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, École Française d’Extrême-Orient, École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, La Fémis, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique and Institut Louis Bachelier are recognized as associates of the university pending later integration.

In 2018, an opportunity to formally create a full University arose with a new Ordonnance (ordinance)[13] allowing to create a collegiate University, whose constituents may keep their legal personality, quite similarly to the constituent faculties of a British university like University of Cambridge. This Ordinance was frequently nicknamed 'Ordonnance PSL' because it was generally considered that PSL would be one of the obvious beneficiary of this new opportunity.

In 2019, a few changes occur in the list of constituents, and finally 9 institutions approve the new statutes and become établissement-composante (constituent college): Chimie ParisTech, Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique, École Nationale des Chartes, École normale supérieure, École pratique des hautes études, ESPCI Paris, Observatoire de Paris, MINES ParisTech, Paris Dauphine. In complement, two members with very specific statutes College de France and Institut Curie become associate-members, also participating closely to the governance of the University. Associate members contribute to the strategy of the University, receive financial resources from PSL University and may carry scientific programs on behalf and by delegation thereof.

Three national research organisations - CNRS, INRIA, and Inserm - provide strategic and financial support to the university and participate in the Board of Directors.

The decree creating Université PSL as a collegiate university, together with the new statutes of the University, is published in November 2019.[1]

PSL and the Lycée Henri IV, along with Mines ParisTech, ESPCI Paris, Paris Dauphine University, Paris Observatory, Ecole normale supérieure and Lycée Louis-le-Grand have implemented a three-year undergraduate program : CPES Multidisciplinary undergraduate course.[18]

At Université Paris-Dauphine, a constituent of Université PSL, bachelor's degrees are available for students in the following fields: management, economics and finance, accounting, applied mathematics, computing, journalism (IPJ-Dauphine).

Mines ParisTech

PSL is co-leader of the SDSN Network for France, under the initiative of the United Nations.[19], together with Kedge Business School and Universite Cergy-Pontoise. In this context, Université PSL is promoting that all students shall have access to courses related to climate, biodiversity and sustainability.

PSL has launched in 2020 a bachelor program dedicated to sustainability sciences.

PSL organizes a yearly summer school open to European students, to help understand the challenges of sustainable development : the European School of Positive Impact and Responsibility (ESPOIR).[20]

ESPCI Paris

Université PSL offers training programs for graduate students through its constituent schools in a broad array of disciplines : engineering, fine and applied arts, management, economics, biology, humanities and social sciences, astronomy.

The first post-graduate/Master programme to be created under the umbrella of PSL between l’Université Paris-Dauphine and the Ecole normale supérieure, was the specialization Peace Studies launched in 2014 within the Master of International affairs and development.[21]

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts

More than 70% of PSL students are at the Master’s or PhD level. University PSL Graduate Programs are inspired by the graduate schools that can be found in most of the world's research universities. The first two programs of this kind are a Graduate program in the Humanities (Translitterae) and a PhD program in Cognitive science (FrontCog).

The “Science Art Creation Research” (SACRe) doctoral program aims at developing new fields of research by exploring the interfaces between the arts, and between arts and science (hard sciences as well as the humanities and social sciences). The program implements a new kind of PhD in Art strongly articulating practice and theoretical thinking. It brings together, along with the Ecole normale supérieure, five French schools of creative and performing arts : CNSAD (French professional acting school), Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (dance, music and sound design), École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, La Fémis.[22]

Observatoire de Paris