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European doctoral Day 2026

In the context of the European Doctoral Day, Adoc Talent Management, ANDès, Apec, Sorbonne University, Réseau Biotechno, ANRT, France PhD and Eurodoc organise the event:

Dessin le doctorat face aux grands défis de notre temps.png

PHD FACING OUR TIME'S GREAT CHALLENGES

Let’s celebrate the PhD together!

Event presentation

What if the doctorate were one of the most powerful innovative driving forces of our society?

This event offered a lively and interactive dive into the doctorate universe, far from the clichés. Through immersive experiments, inspiring pitches, humour, debates and meetings, it brings to light PhD candidates' skills, impact and potential in front of the great economic, technological and societal challenges.

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Thought as a key moment of dialogue between research, companies and society, the event invites academic, socioeconomic and institutional players to discover stereotypes and explore new ways of collaboration.

Relive the event

Welcomed by Sorbonne University and broadcast on YouTube, the event was designed to present playful and reflexive approaches, with and for everyone. Relive this day, hosted by Stéphanie DANAUX, PhD, head of ANDès.

Opening: Why do we need to celebrate the doctorate today?

This doctorate celebration day begins with a video of Claudie Haigneré, PhD, patron of the 2026 edition of the European Doctoral Day, followed by Élisabeth ANGEL-PEREZ, PhD, Vice President for Research and Innovation at Sorbonne University and Bertrand Granado, PhD, President of the doctoral college at Sorbonne University.

The PhD trial: Case number 1: Does the doctorate cost too much to society?

With: Linda LAHLEH, PhD (Andès), Timothée MARTINOD, PhD (ANDès), Emmanuelle EBEL-JOST, PhD (Adoc Métis), Edison GERENA, PhD (MovaLife microrobotics), Valérie PATRIN-LECLÈRE, PhD (Ambassadrice du doctorat) and Manon PELLIEUX (News Tank).

The court is open. Today, we have a surprising case: a citizen collective wants to propose a referendum to suppress funding for PhD candidates, which is considered useless, expensive and guilty of spending public and private resources.

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During this fictional trial, listen to the lawyers' pleas for or against PhD financing and to two PhD holders' testimonies.

PhD trial: Case number 2: Imagine a world without PhD holders

We are in 2046, and it’s been 20 years since the doctorate no longer exists. Two lawyers and two witnesses are here to defend their opinion.

Discover this fictional trial and try, or do not try, to re-establish the PhD. The meeting is open!

With: Linda LAHLEH, PhD (Andès), Thimothée FRINGANS-OZANNE, PhD (Cabinet Thimothée Fringans-Ozanne), Carole CHAPIN, PhD (Ambassadrice du doctorat), Anne-Colombe LAUNOIS, PhD (CESAH-EHESS), Juan GARCIA-SANCHEZ, PhD (Dimicare Biotech) and Manon PELLIEUX (News Tank).

Quiz: What do you really know about the doctorate?

Let’s test your knowledge about the PhD! This quiz was made to share a few numbers about the PhD.

Are you ready? Let’sAre you ready? Let’s go!

Hosted by Floriane GROLLAU, PhD (Adoc Talent Management)

Collaborative debate: The doctorate as a strategic lever for organisations: a win-win partnership?

Dive into this theatrical and musical improvisation as we follow Camille, a PhD candidate in mathematics, as she studies the letters of the alphabet. Intriguing, isn’t it?

An improvisation conceived and portrayed by Damien BASTARD, PhD and Syl Nadin from the Savant Mélange compagny.

Collaborative debate: The PhD as a strategic lever for organisations: a win-win partnership?

The audience may now speak! Through a series of questions about Phd, the public could share its arguments and maybe change people's minds. And you, what do you think about it?

Hosted by Amandine Bugnicourt, PhD (Adoc Talent Management) and Claudine Pierron, PhD (APEC)

Humoristic interlude:

Dive inside a biological PhD candidate’s life with Lady Pipette, who relates her everyday life with humour.

Lady Pipette, aka Yaëlle WORMSER, is a PhD student at the Institut Pasteur and won the 2026 national edition of MT180.

Closing: and now what do we do?

Victor Kreis, PhD (RéseauBiotechno), concludes the day. After this celebration day together, what should we do?

Partners and sponsors

This event was organised by : 

The first edition of the European Doctoral Day was organised all across the European continent on the initiative of France. Claudie Haigneré agreed to be the patron of the event, convinced that science and research are Europe’s fundamental values and that PhD is a springboard to them and an essential vector for promotion.

The European Doctoral Day will take place every year on May, 13th, during the European month.

To find out more: https://www.eurodocday.org/

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