On Tuesday 12 December 2023, the Fondation nationale Alfred Kastler (FnAK) celebrated 30 years of activity at the Palais de l’Institut. Now part of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CiuP), the FnAK was created by the Académie des Sciences and their relationship is still very close.
At the end of the 7th meeting of its scientific council, three speeches preceded an anniversary cocktail and a tour of this « Parliament of the learned world »:
Olivier BECHT, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad (recording) ;
Édouard BRÉZIN, Member of the Académie des sciences, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Fondation Kastler ;
Catherine MÉNÉZO-MÉREUR, Acting General Delegate of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris.
FnAK has thus been strengthened in its pursuit of the alumni researcher strategy that it is developing on the model of the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Unlike alumni students, whose supposed sense of belonging to the institution is linked to the awarding of a degree and a certain affection for it, alumni researchers are guided by their career and by the ability of their host institutions to foster their professional development.
The experience of Germany and the United States in the networking essential to such a strategy respects the 5i rule of management, in this order: identify, inform, interest, involve and invest;
to identify, you need a database, which is why the Kastler Foundation created ALFRED®[1] ;
informing them is essential, by means of an old-school magazine or newsletter, taking care to target relevant information !
get them interested: University day, science market, job dating, parent & child, mentoring, etc. ;
get them involved: boards, faculty; honour them, showcase them, create alumni groups, etc. ;
Finally, invest: the only way to have a friend is to reward them – that’s the best way to get them to return the favour!
Under the impetus of FnAK and the EURAXESS network, the conditions for welcoming and supporting international researchers in France have improved considerably. Our ability to keep in touch after their stay in France now depends on our ability to make the most of the networking tools developed by FnAK and the EURAXESS network, particularly for the many international researchers who are called upon to pursue their careers outside the academic sector.
We are most grateful to the French government and the local authorities of the Grand-Est region, who have supported the Kastler Foundation financially and strategically since its creation!
[1] ALFRED® : ALumni and Foreign REsearchers Directory
On Tuesday 12 December 2023, the Fondation nationale Alfred Kastler (FnAK) celebrated 30 years of activity at the Palais de l’Institut. Now part of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CiuP), the FnAK was created by the Académie des Sciences and their relationship is still very close.
At the end of the 7th meeting of its scientific council, three speeches preceded an anniversary cocktail and a tour of this « Parliament of the learned world »:
Olivier BECHT, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad (recording)
Édouard BRÉZIN, Member of the Académie des Sciences, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Kastler Foundation
Catherine MÉNÉZO-MÉREUR, Acting General Delegate of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris.
Many thanks to the French government and to the local authorities of the Grand-Est region, who have supported the Kastler Foundation financially and strategically since its creation.
Professor Guy OURISSON paved the way for the Kastler Foundation (FnAK) to welcome and monitor international researchers in France, following the example of the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH Stiftung), albeit for all researchers on academic mobility to France and without funding their research stays. We are on the same path today, thanks to the support of the French government and local authorities under the three-year Strasbourg European Capital Contract since 2000 and to the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CiuP), which has been our home since 2002.
With the first reception office set up in Strasbourg, followed by a tour of France’s research campuses, and finally our cooperation with the European Commission, regulations, organisation and professionalisation of the reception service have progressed to the benefit of international researchers, both in France and in the EU (researchers’ directive, EURAXESS network, HRS4R, etc.). According to data from the ALFRED® software[1], accessible in real time via the EURAXESS network, around 80% of them currently benefit from this (15,000/year):
the aim of registering international researchers in ALFRED® is to offer them 360° support, from preparing their stay in France to the rest of their career, through to the completion of their research project under the best possible conditions in France;
the ultimate aim for higher education and research establishments, regions and the country as a whole is to roll out a follow-up strategy (alumni researchers), both to combine academic hospitality and international influence and to recruit the best talent from such a pool.
In short, we have helped to develop in France the culture of academic hospitality cultivated by the Humboldt Foundation (to the same level as in the UK and the USA). To reach the same level in terms of post-stay follow-up strategy, we will be undertaking a number of actions from 2021 onwards, such as further development of the ALFRED® software for networking with the international researchers who register with it, and our cooperation with Campus France and its France Alumni platform.
The ultimate aim is to stay as close as possible to the needs :
international researchers, in terms of working conditions and employability ;
their host research teams, to remove obstacles to residence, accommodation and integration so that they can devote themselves to their research work as soon as they arrive;
the research organisations that receive them, to help them develop their networks of alumni researchers and recruit the best talent;
our diplomatic network, for our international influence.
The Kastler Foundation works to promote the mobility of international researchers to France:
TO FOSTER THE RECEPTION OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS IN FRANCENCE – The Kastler Foundation contributes to fostering international cooperation, as did the 1966 Nobel Prize in Physics Alfred Kastler. – Son expertise est reconnue au plus haut niveau stratégique, en France et en Europe.
WHO IS IT FOR? – Any researcher in academic mobility, regardless of nationality, discipline, funding and host site in France. – Any employer or host, regardless of their status.
WHY? FnAK’s missions are divided into four main areas: – To welcome: to professionalize the national and territorial reception of French universities and research organizations. – To improve: to cooperate with the Ministries and government services for the improvement of the immigration law. – To monitor: to deploy the ALFRED® (ALumni and Foreign REsearchers Directory) database throughout France, thanks to the EURAXESS network. – To decide: to accompany political and academic decision-makers with the strategic support of a scientific council.
A NATIONAL NETWORK – The Kastler Foundation was created by the French Academy of Sciences in 1993, following a report to the Prime Minister on the situation of international researchers in France. From its headquarters in Strasbourg, it launched a network of some 50 EURAXESS centers in France, thanks to the European Commission, to promote French higher education, research and innovation. – The Ile-de-France network (Paris region) requires a higher degree of expertise and organization. For this reason, it has become a component of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, which is now recognized for its ability to host international student and scientific mobility. – The Cité internationale and the Kastler Foundation are the alliance of two cardinal ambitions for sustainable international academic relations. Under the dual impetus of philanthropists from all over the world in 1925 for students, and the Academy of Sciences in 1993 for researchers, they intend to facilitate the life of people in academic mobility and cultivate multicultural exchanges conducive to peace in the world. – Constituted as an association EURAXESS France, the French network is a strategic partner of the Kastler Foundation. – The State and local authorities of the Grand-Est region have supported the Kastler Foundation financially and strategically since its creation.
A VANTAGE POINT – This vast field of action offers the FnAK a privileged observation post. It is an original model of cooperation in France and internationally with all the organizations and individuals specialized in international scientific mobility. – With the French EURAXESS network, it is developing a mobility observatory to meet the needs of researchers and their hosts.
Deeply shocked by the invasion of Ukraine by the army of the Russian Federation, the Academy of Sciences has publicly expressed on several occasions its solidarity with the Ukrainian Academies (The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine and Junior Academy of sciences of Ukraine), and through them, with all scientists and, more generally, with the Ukrainian people. Today, with its strong national and international scientific ties, the French Académie des sciences is establishing a Committee of Scientists for Ukraine (CSU) to: • Welcome, accompany and support the Ukrainian scientific community, as well as the families of scientists, in their exile in France; • Constitute a platform for the exchange of information with the Ukrainian scientific institutions and to support the researchers who remained in Ukraine; • Accompany the educational teams welcoming children from Ukraine in classes in France, with the collaboration of the Foundation La main à la pâte.
The term « scientists » includes researchers and academics as well as health personnel, engineers, teachers and students.
In partnership with the University of Turin and with the support of the Italo-French University, ABG is organizing the first online edition of the Franco-Italian day for early career researchers of all disciplines on October 28th, 2021. It is an opportunity for students and researchers from both countries to meet and talk with experts in the field of Franco-Italian mobility.
The Alfred Kastler National Foundation, today acc&ss FnAK and part of the Directorate of International Mobility Support (DAMI) of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, was created following the commissioning by the General Secretariat of National Defence (today SGDSN) of a report on the Follow-up and Reception of High Level Foreign Scientists to Prof. Guy OURISSON, delegate for international relations of the Academy of Sciences.
This report established that the follow-up was « lousy » and was accompanied by a lack of reception policy, concluding that it was necessary to create a foundation that would emulate the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, to ensure as a priority the reception and follow-up of foreign scientists in France.
acc&ss FnAK is thus at the origin of the scientist-researcher procedure and the French network for hosting mobile researchers, which the European Commission used as a model for the launch of the ERA-Net EURAXESS and which FnAK coordinated in France, before handing over to the Conference of University Presidents (CPU). The latter set up the French EURAXESS network as an association in 2011 (EURAXESS France), which is currently the only network among 42 national networks with a legal personality.
Today, FnAK acts as a service provider for the French EURAXESS Centres, providing them with its legal expertise and sharing with them the ALFRED® (Alumni and Foreign REsearchers Directory) database, thus playing an essential role in the support of people in academic mobility to France.
Its Observatory on the Mobility of Researchers to France, developed by FnAK, provides indicators to higher education and research institutions and enables them to adapt the services offered to the specific needs of this public.
Finally, with regard to the follow-up of researchers after they have left France, FnAK is inspired by the researcher alumni strategy developed by the A. v. Humboldt foundation, to contribute to the international influence of our territories with regard to mobile researchers.
Since January 31, 2021 at midnight, any travel to / from a country outside the European area is subject to the production of a compelling reason.
Please note: travelers arriving from a State within the European area but having stayed within 30 days prior to their arrival in a State outside the European area, must comply with the procedure applicable to travelers arriving from a State outside the European area.
Foreigners may come for short or long stays. They must present the documents usually required at the border: passport, visa (long-stay visa for everyone, short-stay visa only for nationalities subject to it) and only for short stays: justification of means and accommodation. In addition, they must have:
– Not forgetting the PCR test less than 72 hours old.
The indicative list of compelling reasons appears on the attestations of entry to the metropolitan territory. There are two different of them:
– One for French/EU nationals
– Another for non-EU/British nationals.
1) For non-EU/British nationals :
1.1 Third-country nationals, holders of a valid French or European residence permit or long-stay visa, who have their principal residence in France or who, in transit through France, are returning to their principal residence in a European Union country or similar (valid only if the trip abroad took place before January 31, 2021 or was justified by an overriding reason).
If a foreigner has his main residence in France, he can return with his Residence Permit or with a Long-Stay Visa + document proving that his main residence is in France (property deed, rental contract, etc.) + justification (travel before January 31, 2021 or health/family/professional reason).
1.2 British national and family members who are beneficiaries of the withdrawal agreement of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (valid only if the travel abroad took place before January 31, 2021 or was justified by a compelling reason).
If a British person arrived in France before 31/12/20 (i.e. British without Residence Permit or Long-Stay Visa) but who travelled for an overriding reason, he can return with his passport and a justification (health/family/professional).
If (S)he travelled before 31/01/21, he can return with his passport and a justification that the trip took place before 31/01/21.
(British nationals who arrived in France after 01/01/21 are subject to the common law for foreigners and this box does not apply to them).
1.3. Foreign health or research professional contributing to the fight against covid-19 or recruited as an associate trainee.
To come to France, the health professional/special research Covid-19 needs his passport, a visa (if necessary) and his professional card/employer’s certificate and his hosting agreement or internship agreement.
1.4. Nationals of third countries with a Long-Stay Visa « Passeport Talent ».
This applies to all talent passports: qualified employee, researcher, family, artist, investor, business creator, etc. They need: passport, Long-Stay Visa, employer’s certificate/business card/assignment order (+ hosting agreement for researchers).
(Be careful not to confuse the « passeport talent / créateur d’entreprise » with the « Recherche d’Emploi / Création d’Entreprise » or the « carte autoentrepreneur/professional card »).
1.5. Researcher settling in France at the invitation of a research laboratory, for research activities requiring a physical presence; Student settling in France for the second academic semester as part of a program at a higher education institution.
For researchers, they need: passport, visa (if necessary), invitation from the laboratory, employer’s certificate and hosting agreement.
The government anticipates the management of study visa applications for France: you must be registered in France for the academic year 2020/2021 or for the 2nd semester of the academic year 2020/2021 only to be authorized to come. For the school year 2021/2022, we will see later.
Documents for students: passport, study visa (VLS or VCS), school certificate for the year or semester, if necessary: proof of participation in a university exchange program.
2) Compelling reasons and examples of supporting documents :
2.1. Compelling reasons of a personal or family nature :
– Death of a family member in the direct line (grandparents, parents, children and siblings) / Visit to a life-threatening situation for family members in the direct line (grandparents, parents, children and siblings) ;
Required documents: death certificate, medical certificate establishing the situation of the person whose prognosis is life-threatening, proof of family ties.
– Displacement in France within the framework of the exercise of custody rights recognized by a court decision;
Documents required: court decision and proof of place of residence.
– Summons by a judicial or administrative authority;
Required documents: summons by the administrative or judicial authority.
– Legal or economic impossibility to remain on the territory on which the person is located / execution of a removal order from national territory ;
Required documents: Expiring residence permit, act of dismissal, etc.;
– Participation in a university exchange program.
Required documents: Certificate of schooling issued by the institution.
2.2 Compelling health reasons :
– Vital medical emergency (for the person as well as an accompanying person if his/her presence is indispensable) ;
Required documents: medical certificate, proof of planned hospitalization, etc.
2.3 Professional compelling reasons :
– Missions that are indispensable to the pursuit of an economic activity, requiring a presence on site that cannot be postponed and whose postponement or cancellation would have manifestly disproportionate consequences or would be impossible (including transport professionals);
Required documents: employer’s certificate, professional card for crews in international goods transport, international passenger transport, international maritime transport.
– Health or research professional contributing to the fight against Covid 19 or participating in cooperation operations of major interest in health matters;
Required document: professional card.
– Ad hoc missions related to the exercise of public authority prerogatives (including diplomatic missions and missions essential to the continued execution of operational contracts of the armed forces or military corps) that cannot be deferred or postponed ;
Required documents: business card, mission order.
– High level athletes for participation in meetings validated by the Ministry of Sports ;
Required documents: professional card, certificate issued by the organizer in connection with the Ministry of Sport.
– Cross-border workers between France and the United Kingdom ;
The website for applications for residence permits for British nationals is open.
As a reminder :
This site is only open to British nationals and their family members, of British nationality or third country nationals, residing in France or coming to settle in France before December 31, 2020.
British nationals residing in France or coming to settle in France before December 31, 2020 must obligatorily apply for a residence permit online, mentioning « withdrawal agreement » on this site.
British nationals arriving in France after January 1, 2021 will have to apply for a visa at the consulate and then apply for a residence permit at the prefecture (application of common law for foreigners):
For students and doctoral students with student status: application for VLS-TS student ;
For researchers: application for a « talent researcher passport » visa (therefore a hosting agreement must be provided).
At this time, the country is getting back on track after the Covid-19 outbreak. What will mobility look like in the future?
Researcher mobility helps networks and countries meet the challenges of the future. But how much do researchers in a digitised world really need to be in the same place at the same time to work together and benefit from each other? Do new technologies make it possible to avoid climate-damaging air travel to conferences and research visits?
Physical and virtual mobility should not be in opposition to each other. The challenge is how to reconcile the two in the highly flexible and dynamic mesh of interconnected networks, to produce the knowledge we need for the future. A large mass of users have easy access to specialised knowledge that they can continue to process. A new framework is emerging in which knowledge is exchanged and generated. This virtual mobility of knowledge changes the form of knowledge itself. What is lost, however, are the informal conversations over coffee or dinner that are so productive.
It is only by maintaining a trusting relationship with experienced researchers that young scientists and academics can learn from their informal working methods and practices and form unexpected connections.
For example, today’s researchers have long been involved in many networks at the same time, both analogue and digital. They need to be able to circulate themselves and their knowledge both digitally and analogically. Travel, especially by air, will probably be less frequent. But it will not often be possible to find a substitute for personal meetings.
Due to the pandemic situation linked to the progression of covid-19, the French authorities decided on a lockdown period from March 16 to May 11, 2020.
From Monday, May 11, the country enters a period of gradual end of lockdown.
Reminder of the main measures valid from May 11, 2020:
MOBILITY
The certificate of derogatory movement is no longer required to leave your home. The exit time is no longer limited, however gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.
Wearing a mask is highly recommended in public spaces and compulsory in public transport (bus, metro, tram, train, etc.).
Travel is authorized within a 100 km radius of the home or also within the same department without limitation of distance.
Beyond 100 km, a special authorization is required based on a compelling professional or family reason.
European and international borders remain closed for the time being.
EVERYDAY LIFE
Stores and shopping centers are opening again little by little (except restrictions in Ile-de-France): it is strongly recommended to wear a mask and imperative to respect the safety distance between each customer.
Places of worship are open from May 11, but ceremonies prohibited.
Practicing sport outside is authorized.
Libraries and media libraries, small museums are open. Other cultural places (large museums, cinemas, theaters, opera houses, etc.) remain closed.
The parks and gardens are open in the green departments.
Bars, cafes and restaurants remain closed for the time being.
FAMILY-CHILDREN
The nurseries open their doors from Monday 11 May but only welcome 10 children per group.
The opening of nursery and primary schools starts from May 11 gradually, on the basis of family volunteering. Each academy defines its rules according to the precise local situation.
Middle schools will be open from May 18 in the green zones and from June 2 in the red zones.
High schools and universities will remain closed until September 2020.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
As far as possible, remote work from home is recommended until further notice.
Ask your host establishment and your laboratory manager for more information.
The ordinance for the extension of residence permits
was published in the JORF of 26/03/20 (Ordinance No. 2020-328 of 25 March 2020 extending the period of validity of residence documents).
The following documents which would expire between 16 March and 15 May 2020 are extended by 90 days (3 months) and not by 180 days as indicated by the Law (6 months) :
1° Long-stay visa ;
2° Residence permits, with the exception of those issued to foreign diplomatic and consular staff ;
3° Provisional residence permits;
4° Receipts of applications for residence permits;
5° Asylum application certificates.
It is therefore an automatic extension with maintenance of social rights and the right to work. Be careful however, this period of only 90 days is likely to complicate making an appointment at the prefecture.
Article 3 of Decree No. 2020-293 of 23 March 2020 prescribing the general measures necessary to deal with the covid-19 epidemic within the framework of :
I. – Until 31 March 2020, any movement of persons outside their homes is prohibited except for travel for the following reasons, avoiding any gathering of people :
1° Journeys between the home and the place(s) where the professional activity is carried out and professional journeys that cannot be postponed ;
2° Trips to make purchases of supplies necessary for the professional activity and purchases of basic necessities in establishments whose activities remain authorized by Article 8 of this decree;
3° Travel for health reasons, with the exception of consultations and care that can be provided at a distance and, except for patients suffering from a long-term illness, those that can be postponed;
4° Travel for compelling family reasons, for the assistance of vulnerable persons and for the care of children;
5° Short journeys, within the limit of one hour per day and within a maximum radius of one kilometre around the home, related either to the individual physical activity of the persons, excluding any collective sporting practice and any proximity with other persons, or to walking with only the persons grouped together in the same home, or for the needs of pets;
6° Travel resulting from an obligation to report to the national police or gendarmerie services or to any other service or professional, imposed by the administrative police authority or the judicial authority ;
7° Travel resulting from a summons issued by an administrative court or judicial authority;
8° Travel for the sole purpose of participating in missions of general interest at the request of the administrative authority and under the conditions it specifies.
An identity document and a dated and signed authorization are required. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe advises that the exit time should be written on the document.
These restrictions are valid in metropolitan France and in all overseas departments and territories.
Article 5 of the same decree: Travel between metropolitan France and the DROM-COMs is suspended until 15 April 2020 unless justified by :
compelling reasons of a personal or family nature;
health reasons related to an emergency;
professional reasons that cannot be postponed.
Persons wishing to benefit from one of these exceptions must present to the air carrier at the time of boarding one or more documents justifying the reason for the journey accompanied by a declaration on honour of that reason.
Summary of the emergency health law adopted on 22/03/20, to be published in the Official Journal of 23/03/20…
Résumé de la loi d’urgence sanitaire adoptée le 22/03/20, à paraître au Journal Officiel du 23/03/20…
Adoption of the text
On March 19, 2020, the Senate passed the bill. On 21 March
2020, the National Assembly in turn passed the bill. On 22 March 2020, a joint
committee, composed of 7 deputies and 7 senators, met to reach agreement on a
final version of the text.
On 22 March 2020, Parliament adopted the emergency bill to
deal with the covid-19 epidemic. A two-month « state of health
emergency » throughout the country is established as soon as the law comes
into force (published in the JORF on 23/03/20).
A new legal framework
This law establishes a « sanitary » state of
emergency system, alongside the common law state of emergency provided for by
the law of 3 April 1955. It is a question of « strengthening the legal
bases » on which has been the basis of the measures taken so far to manage
the Covid-19 outbreak.
This new state of health emergency may concern part or all
of the territory (including overseas territories) « in the event of a
health disaster endangering, by its nature and extent, the health and safety of
the population ».
It is declared by a decree in the Council of Ministers,
based on the report of the Minister of Health. The available scientific data on
the health situation which motivated the decision are made public.
Its extension beyond one month must be authorized by a law,
which determines its duration.
Within the framework of this state of emergency, the Prime
Minister may, by decree and/or order, take general measures limiting the
freedom to come and go, the freedom of movement of persons, the freedom of the
press and the freedom of the media.
and freedom of assembly and allowing for the requisitioning
of any necessary goods and services and for deciding on temporary price control
measures. Such measures may include home containment measures.
The Minister responsible for health may, by order, determine
other general measures and individual measures. Prefects may be empowered to
take local
enforcement actions. All such measures must be proportionate
to the risks involved.
When a state of public health emergency is declared, « a
committee of scientists » shall be convened immediately. This Committee
shall periodically make public its opinion on the measures taken under the
emergency.
A series of exceptional measures
– Economic emergency measures
The Government is empowered to take, by ordinance, within
three months, any measure to deal with the economic, financial and social
consequences of the crisis.
of the spread of the epidemic in order to prevent and limit
the cessation of activity of natural and legal persons engaged in economic
activity.
Examples of measures :
– Authorisation for companies « particularly
necessary » for the security of the nation or the continuity of economic
and social life to derogate from the rules of order.
and to the conventional stipulations relating to working
hours, weekly rest and Sunday rest.
– facilitating the use of partial activity
– temporary suspension of the waiting day in the event of
sick leave for the duration of the state of health emergency
– adaptation of the rules for the filing and processing of
administrative declarations
– subject to an enterprise or branch agreement, an employer may impose or modify the dates on which part of the paid leave is taken, up to a limit of six days. The company’s business activities do not require the use of the so-called « advance notice » periods to inform the persons concerned.
For very small companies without staff representatives, employees will be able to be consulted directly by their employer. (Cf. order n°2017-1385 of 22 September 2017 relating to the strengthening of collective bargaining).
The employer may unilaterally impose or modify the dates of
days of reduced working hours, rest days provided for in package agreements and
rest days allocated to the employee’s time savings account, without prior
notice.
– Restriction of civil liberties
Example of possible measures :
prohibition of the movement of persons and vehicles;
prohibition of persons from leaving their homes, subject to travel that is
strictly necessary for family or health needs; order measures for the
implementation of the quarantine of persons likely to be infected; order
measures to place and keep infected persons in isolation; order the temporary
closure of one or more categories of establishments open to the public and of
meeting places, with the exception of establishments providing essential goods
or services; limit or prohibit gatherings on the public highway and meetings of
any kind; order the requisitioning of all goods and services necessary to
combat the health disaster; take temporary measures to control the prices of
certain products necessary to prevent or correct the tensions observed on the
market for these products; take any measure allowing patients to be provided
with appropriate medicines for the eradication of the health disaster; take by
decree any other regulatory measure restricting the freedom of enterprise.
Warning: On 22/03/2020, the Council of State, ruling in summary proceedings, called for a more restrictive confinement. The government has 48 hours to modify its measures. According to the Council of State, total confinement is not conceivable in the present state, because it could have "serious consequences for the health of the population" and it would also require home catering which could not be "organized throughout the national territory, given the means at the disposal of the administration". The Conseil d'Etat adds that the maintenance of certain professions, such as in the medical field, implies the "continuation of certain essential activities on which they depend. »
The magistrates of the Council of State are asking the
government to tighten the "ambiguous" scope of the authorisations
granted to the confined population. The government must specify the degree of
urgency for which a person will be allowed to travel. (Jogging and open markets
are in the Council of State's sights).
The government has until Tuesday evening to follow the
injunctions of the Council of State.
As a reminder, according to Decree No. 2020-260 of 16 March 2020 regulating travel as part of the fight against the spread of the covid virus19 :
In order to prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus, it is forbidden until 31 March 2020 to move any person outside his or her home, except for the following reasons, in compliance with general measures to prevent the spread of the virus and avoiding any gathering of people:
1° Journeys between the home and the place(s) where the professional activity is carried out and professional journeys that cannot be postponed;
2° Travel to make purchases of supplies necessary for the professional activity and purchases of basic necessities in establishments whose activities remain authorised by order of the Minister for Health issued on the basis of the provisions of Article L. 3131-1 of the Public Health Code;
3° Travel for health reasons ;
4° Displacements for compelling family reasons, for the assistance of vulnerable persons or for childcare;
5° Short trips, close to home, related to the individual physical activity of persons, excluding any collective sports practice, and to the needs of the pets;
6° Travel resulting from an obligation of presentation to the national police or gendarmerie services or to any other service or professional, imposed by the administrative police authority or the judicial authority ; 7° Travel resulting from a summons issued by an administrative court or judicial authority;
8° Travel for the sole purpose of participating in missions of general interest at the request of the administrative authority and under the conditions it specifies.
Persons wishing to benefit from one of these exceptions must, when travelling away from home, carry a document enabling them to justify that the journey in question falls within the scope of one of these exceptions.
– Immigration
Foreigners:
The government is also authorised to extend by ordinance the period of validity of the residence documents issued to foreigners (residence permit, certificate of asylum application…) which expire between 16 March and 15 May 2020, up to a maximum of six months.
Article 16 of the State of Health Emergency Act: Under the conditions laid down in Article 38 of the Constitution, the Government is authorised, within one month of the publication of this Act, to take by ordinance any measure falling within the scope of the Act to extend the period of validity of long-stay visas, residence permits, provisional residence permits, receipts for applications for residence permits and certificates of asylum applications which expired between 16 March and 15 May 2020, up to a limit of one hundred and eighty days.
It is therefore necessary to wait for the ordinance. For the
time being, for any residence permit which would expire as of 16/03/2020,
automatic extension of 3 months,
maintenance of social rights and the right to work.
French expatriates :
By way of derogation, French expatriates who returned to
France between March 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020 and who are not in employment are
affiliated to the health and maternity insurance without being subject to a
waiting period. The terms and conditions of application of this Article may be
specified by decree.
As a reminder: the prefectural reception services for
foreigners remain closed until further notice.
The external borders of the European area and the Schengen
area are closed from 17 March 2020 and for 30 days.
The persons authorized, with their spouse and children, to
enter the national territory in order to reach their residence are the following:
– French citizens;
– citizens of the European Union;
– nationals of the Schengen area;
– United Kingdom nationals
– nationals of other countries who have their permanent
residence in France
In order for foreign nationals on mobility outside France to
be able to return to French territory as soon as air links are re-established,
they need a valid residence permit. Holders of a VLS-TS must have already
validated it online and have already entered French territory.
Holders of a VLS « carte de séjour à solliciter dans les
deux mois suivant votre arrivée » (« residence permit to be applied for
within two months of your arrival ») can normally return to France even if
they have not yet received their residence permit and even if they have not started
the procedures at the prefecture, as long as they have already entered French
territory.
Beware of the internal borders of the Schengen area
(Schengen borders).
Some EU Member States have closed their borders while others
only allow border crossings in specific cases. To be specified on a
case-by-case basis.
– Sanctions
Any violation of the prohibitions or obligations shall be
punishable by a fine of EUR 135.In the event of a repeat offence within 15
days, the fine may range from 1,500 to 3,000 euros. If the violations are
repeated more than three times within 30 days, the offences are punishable by
six months’ imprisonment and a fine of EUR 3,750 and an additional penalty of
community service.
In order to secure the presence on the territory of legal aliens, and to avoid any questioning of rights in a health context that does not allow prefectures to process their applications under normal conditions, the validity period of several residence documents will be extended.
In view of the health context linked to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the reception of applicants for residence permits in prefectures is suspended until further notice.
In order to secure the presence on the territory of foreigners in a legal situation and to avoid any questioning of the rights conferred on them by the residence document they hold, in particular the right to work and the benefit of social rights, the validity of the following documents, which would expire on 16 March, will be extended by three months:
long-stay visas ;
residence permits of any kind, with the exception of special residence permits issued to foreign diplomatic and consular staff;
provisional residence permits;
asylum application certificates;
receipts for applications for residence permits.
This measure is applicable on national territory.
Foreign nationals holding an expired permit benefiting from this extension are advised not to leave French territory, as they may encounter difficulties in re-entering French territory.
In Brussels on 22 October, access FnAK was invited to present ALFRED®, its Alumni and Foreign REsearchers Directory, as part of a dialogue with EURAXESS stakeholders. It was a great opportunity to share this good practice with the national Bridgeheads Organisations of the European network.
The FnAK 2018 annual report can be downloaded here. (French)
Today’s young researchers belong to generation Y (or millennial). They were born between 1980 and 2000 and possess qualities that predispose them to research careers: access to information is child’s play for them, they have team spirit, are well educated, motivated and enterprising, as long as the pressure of work can be combined with their many external interests.
In a context where mobility and research stays play an increasingly important role in the lives of researchers, the level of their research team and their professional success will increasingly depend on their participation in large-scale projects. For host institutions, this means valuing their best researchers and their participation in high-level projects, initiating future-oriented research areas, being open to new disciplines and promoting new forms of publication.
Institutional membership and physical presence will lose their importance, to the benefit of job security, equality and independence in the research system. To make an institution more attractive, the resources allocated will of course be decisive. Those who can adopt this new approach will be in the best position to attract the best international talent.
In terms of supporting the scientific career, this paradigm shift is fortunately well understood on both sides of the Atlantic. This is also true for those who belong to the lost generation of scientists, the majority, who will not get a permanent position in research.
However, careers outside academia are just as valuable, and those who supervise doctoral and post-doctoral students must provide them with an exit plan and take responsibility for preparing them to non-academic careers. It is therefore essential for institutions to have data on the number of university jobs available at each level and to indicate a perspective to each departing scientist.
What may indeed seem like a loss for the academic world can still prove to be an enormous gain for society… Thus the surveys carried out in France with doctoral schools on the professional future of doctors (employability, training) must be completed by an approach that favours career development, the attractiveness of the European Research Area and the development of researchers.
There is a real interest in linking the two approaches and developing their complementarity: from thesis preparation to post-doctoral work or even beyond, then from employability to career development and support.
