preface

Higher education and research are two of the French government's key priority areas. Under the new framework established by the law of 22 July 2013, organisational changes are promoting closer collaboration between higher education and dedicated public research institutions. Work to develop national strategies on research and higher education must also help to coordinate national policies more effectively, thus contributing to the development and sharing of knowledge, students' academic success and social and economic applications of scientific and technological advances.

For the past eight years, the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche) has published Higher Education and Research in France, Facts and Figures each year, alongside Education, Facts and Figures.

We wish to thank the authors of this new edition, who have compiled and presented the statistics used in it in accordance with well-established statistical protocols.

These objective data shed light on related proposals and debates, as well as on the decisions made. The methodology used will allow the effects of these decisions to be measured. This 8th edition is a high-quality tool that is publicly available and can be used by stakeholders to support their strategic thinking. Its content has been adapted for both hard copy and digital formats, making it easier to access not only the texts and illustrations, but also the data used. The publication contextualises these data for readers, allowing them to measure changes in key indicators and compare France's results with those of its neighbours and partners. It can also be used to measure the significant progress made in recent years and the shared challenges we face in creating a higher education system that enables as many students as possible to succeed, and in carrying out advanced research that meets the needs of the 21st century.