The signing yesterday afternoon by the directors of the two university institutions, Professor Alessandro Schiesaro and Professor Frédéric Worms.
PISA, 28 February 2026. The Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) of Paris have renewed, in a widened international perspective, the agreement of co-operation between the two university institutions, which in any case for many years have been collaborating on the creation of joint educational activities and research studies. The new agreement, valid until 31st August 2031, was signed yesterday afternoon at Palazzo della Carovana in Pisa by Professor Alessandro Schiesaro, Director of the Scuola Normale, and by Professor Frédéric Worms, Director of the École Normale.
The two university institutions, both places of higher education where the admission of students is based solely on merit and which offer an academic career characterised by college life and with emphasis on commitment, stimuli and opportunities for growth, undertake to promote themselves jointly in future international collaborations for educational and research projects considered as being of common interest. The aim is to enhance the special nature of the two institutions arising from the same origins, the Normale of Pisa having been created in the Napoleonic era as a sister institute of the École Normale of Paris. In addition, the reciprocal participation in the European University Alliance EELISA has been made explicit for the first time.
Frédéric Worms «The agreement between the two institutions is of fundamental importance on a symbolic, academic and political level. These institutions have the prestige to guide excellent students towards the search for solutions to the great problems of Europe. By collaborating, they can strengthen the legitimacy of science within a democratic context. Indeed, Europe has urgent need of young scientists and people capable of tackling today's challenges, such as climate change, health and scientific progress. Working together is the only way to guarantee faith in the future of Europe».
Alessandro Schiesaro «Today's agreement is of particular importance since we are not only renewing a collaboration already in existence for some time; we are also introducing some new elements. Firstly, we are both reaffirming our membership of the European Alliance EELISA, which adds a much broader scope to our initiatives; in addition, we have decided with the École Normale of Paris to lay the basis for the creation of an alliance of institutions similar to ours - that is, with an intense research and teaching activity starting from European level and from the experience of Pisa and of Paris».
Furthermore, the SNS and ENS undertake to continue ongoing activities such as the research projects and joint teaching programmes, the joint organising of seminars, conferences and other educational activities, exchanges for students, lecturers, researchers, research fellows and technical-administrative personnel, mobility for their undergraduate and PhD students, the activation of international co-tutoring for PhD theses and every other type of collaboration.
Lorenzo Bartalesi, the prorector to whom international relations are delegated, also signed the agreement for the Scuola Normale. During the morning, Professor Frédéric Worms met the students of the École Normale Supérieure who are currently spending study and research periods at the Normale of Pisa; he also visited the NEST Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Nanoscience directed by Fabio Beltram. Worms, an eminent contemporary philosopher noted for his studies on Henri Bergson and for his works on ethics (among his latest books are La vie: qu’est-ce que ça change?) also held, in the Sala Azzurra, the conference Life, science, democracy for the series La Normale delle idee.
