The Marie and Louis Pasteur University (UMLP), formerly known as University of Franche-Comté, is a pluridisciplinary public French university located in

Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou dialect, Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; ; also ; ; all ) is a cultural and Provinces of France, historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of France, departments of Doub ...

, with decentralized campuses in

Belfort Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort. Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...

Montbéliard Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department. History Montbéliard is ...

Vesoul Vesoul ( ) is a Communes of France, commune in the predominantly rural Haute-Saône department, of which it is the Prefectures in France, prefecture, or capital, in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté located in eastern Franc ...

and Lons-le-Saunier. With 28 research labs, 667 PhD students and 788 research professors in 2016–2017, the University of Franche-Comté is well represented in the research community. It collaborates with many organizations ( University Hospital of Besançon,

CNRS The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 eng ...

INSERM The (Inserm, ) is the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. History and organisation Inserm was created in 1964 as a successor to the French National Institute of Health. Inserm is the only public research institution ...

, CEA, etc.). It has about 29,000 students, including nearly a third of scholarship students and 12% of foreign students. Its Centre for Applied Linguistics (CLA) is one of the world's leading schools for teaching French as a foreign language and French linguistics.

History

The university was founded in 1423 in Dole, at that time in the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

. It was moved to

in 1691 as Dole was being punished for having resisted too long against the king of France

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

during his conquest of the region. The university was renamed ''Université Marie-et-Louis-Pasteur'' in 2025.

Institutes & Schools

IUT Nord Franche-Comté. The Institute of Technology (IUT) located in the northern part of Franche-Comté offers a range of engineering and technical programs. IUT Besançon-Vesoul. This Institute of Technology provides technical education in various fields, including engineering, IT, and industrial sciences. ISIFC – Institut Supérieur d'Ingénieurs de Franche-Comté. The ISIFC offers advanced engineering programs, specializing in various disciplines of engineering and technology. IAE – Institut d'Administration des Entreprises. The IAE offers programs in business administration, management, and related fields, providing a comprehensive education for future leaders. IPAG – Institut de Préparation à l'Administration Générale. Focused on preparing students for public administration careers, the IPAG provides specialized training and courses in government-related fields. INSPE – Institut National Supérieur du Professorat et de l'Éducation. The INSPE offers programs for teacher training and professional development in education. CLA – Centre de Linguistique Appliquée. The Centre for Applied Linguistics (CLA) at the University of Franche-Comté is one of the top institutions for language teaching. It has research collaborations in over 110 countries and works closely with the French Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CLA is recognized internationally for its expertise in linguistics and language teaching. SUP FC – Service Universitaire de Pédagogie pour les Formations et la Certification. SUP FC offers pedagogical services and support for academic programs and certification. It focuses on enhancing educational methods and ensuring high-quality teaching standards across disciplines. Centre of Distance Teaching (CTU). The Centre of Distance Teaching provides opportunities for individuals working in various fields to continue their education in areas such as history, IT, mathematics, and management (AEG). It allows for flexible learning, catering to the needs of professionals seeking further education while maintaining their careers.

Research centres

The University of Franche-Comté (UFC) hosts a diverse and interdisciplinary research environment, with 19 research units, including 12 university-based units and 7 mixed units in collaboration with major public research organizations like

, and CEA. Additionally, there are 5 federative structure

Research at UFC spans a wide range of fields, from engineering and fundamental sciences to humanities and social sciences. Fundamental Sciences and Engineering Sciences * FEMTO-ST Institute, FEMTO-ST Institute – Franche-Comté Electronics, Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Optics - Sciences and Technologies. It is one of France's largest laboratories in its field. * UTINAM Institute – Universe, Transport, Interfaces, Nanostructures, Atmosphere and Environment, Molecules. Focuses on theoretical physics, astrophysics, molecular physics, and chemistry. * LMB (Laboratory of Mathematics of Besançon). Researches mathematical sciences, particularly applied mathematics. Natural Sciences, Environment, and Territory * Chrono-environment Laboratory. Specializes in climate change, environmental dynamics, and geospatial sciences. * ThéMA Laboratory. Focuses on territorial development and geographical modeling for sustainable urban planning and development. Legal, Economic, and Management Sciences * CRJFC – Research Center for Legal Studies. Conducts research in various legal disciplines and public law. * CRESE – Research Center on Economic Strategies. Investigates economic strategies, economic modeling, and sustainable development. * CREGO – Research Center in Organizational Management. Focuses on organizational management, including strategies for managing organizations and public administration. Humanities and Social Sciences * CRIT – Centre for Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Research. A center for interdisciplinary research in humanities, including literature, history, and cultural studies. * ELLIADD – Publishing, Languages, Literatures, Computer Science, Arts, Didactics, Discourse. Explores the intersection of language, literature, arts, and digital technologies. * Logics of Action. A philosophy lab specializing in human action, decision-making, and ethics. * LASA – Laboratory of Sociology and Anthropology. Researches sociology and anthropology, with a focus on societal structures and cultural change. * Lucien Febvre Center. Dedicated to historical research, especially social history, cultural history, and historical methodologies. * ISTA – Institute of Sciences and Techniques of Antiquity. Specializes in ancient civilizations, focusing on archaeology, history, and the cultural heritage of antiquity. * Psychology Laboratory. Focuses on psychological research, including clinical psychology and neuropsychology. Health and Sports Sciences * C3S Laboratory. Investigates the relationship between culture, sports, health, and society. * Sinergies. Researches integrated health, nanomedicine, artificial intelligence, and engineering for health, with an emphasis on personalized medicine. * Host-Graft-Tumor Interactions and Cellular and Tissue Engineering. Specializes in cancer research, tissue engineering, and stem cell biology, focusing on cancer treatments and regenerative medicine. * LINC – Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neurosciences. Focuses on clinical neuroscience, including brain functions, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychology. Federative Structures * Burgundy-Franche-Comté Mathematics Federation. A federation supporting mathematical research in the region, with collaborations across institutions. * FR-EDUC – Research Federation in Education. Conducts research on educational methods, pedagogy, and educational policy. * FCLAB – Fuel Cell LAB. Specializes in fuel cell technologies and energy systems, focusing on renewable energy solutions. * MSHE – House of Human and Environmental Sciences Claude Nicolas Ledoux. A research platform for human sciences and environmental studies, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary research. * OSU THETA. An observatory for astronomy, earth sciences, and environmental studies, with a focus on space-time phenomena and climate dynamics.

Research visibility

Much of the international visibility in pure and applied science at the University of Franche-Comté comes through the

FEMTO-ST Institute, FEMTO-ST with its expertise in numerous fields, including physics, optics, mechanics, time-frequency, microsystems and nanotechnology.

Research about Wikipedia

In 2015, Dr José Lages of the University of Franche-Comté and Dima Shepelyansky of

Paul Sabatier University Paul Sabatier University (''Université Paul Sabatier'' , UPS, also known as Toulouse III) was a French university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It was one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse, established in 1229, m ...

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

published a global university ranking based on Wikipedia scholarly citations.

Notable scholars and alumni

Notable professors

Louis Bachelier Louis Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Bachelier (; 11 March 1870 – 28 April 1946) was a French mathematician at the turn of the 20th century. He is credited with being the first person to model the stochastic process now called Brownian motion, as part ...

, mathematician, founder of financial mathematics. *

Robert Badinter Robert Badinter (; 30 March 1928 – 9 February 2024) was a French lawyer, politician, and author who enacted the abolition of capital punishment in France in 1981, while serving as Minister of Justice under François Mitterrand. He also serve ...

, activist and criminal lawyer. *

Georges Duby Georges Duby (; 7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of Fra ...

, mediaeval historian. * Olivier Duhamel, politician. * Felix Gaffiot, author of

Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français The ''Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français'' (; ''Illustrated Latin–French Dictionary'') is a dictionary of Latin, described in French. Compiled by the French philologist Félix Gaffiot (1870–1937), it is commonly eponymized « Le Gaff ...

. * Corine Pelluchon, philosopher. * Louis Rougier, philosopher. *

Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville (11 March 18181 July 1881) was a French chemist. He was born in the island of St Thomas in the Danish West Indies, where his father was French consul. Together with his elder brother Charles, he was educate ...

, chemist known for his work with

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

Alumni

* Yukiya Amano, Japanese diplomat, and former director general of the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...

(IAEA) (July 20092019). * Jean-Luc Lagarce, actor and director. * Claude Lorius, glaciologist. * Yves Jégo, politician. *Dr.

Paolo Macchiarini Paolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958) is a thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and manipulative behavior. He was convicted of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden. Previou ...

, Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher. Obtained degree certificates—a masters in organ and tissue transplantation dated 1994 and a doctorate in the same dated 1997. *

Jean-Luc Mélenchon Jean-Luc Antoine Pierre Mélenchon (; born 19 August 1951) is a French politician who has been the ''de facto'' leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) since it was established in 2016. He was the Deputy (France), deputy in the National Assembly ( ...

, prominent French politician. * Abdellatif Miraoui, Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. * Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine, pop-rock singer. *

Abdoulaye Wade Abdoulaye Wade (, ; born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician who served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), having led the party since it was founded ...

, President of

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

(2000–2012) * Viviane Wade, French-born First Lady of Senegal (2000–2012)

References

Points of interest

* Centre for Applied Linguistics * Jardin botanique de Besançon