Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne celebrates its new generation of PhD graduates

Hosted by Sophie Cras, Vice President of Science with and for Society, with Christian de Boissieu, Professor Emeritus at the university, as guest of honor, and for the first time in the presence of master's students, the afternoon ceremony honored last year's doctoral graduates in front of their loved ones.

“Today is an opportunity to solemnly mark your entry into a community of shared values and knowledge. These are values that you will carry with you.” — Sophie Cras.

Success achieved through rigor, passion, and perseverance

Thesis work goes beyond a simple intellectual challenge; it is also a human and sometimes solitary ordeal. “It's still psychologically difficult,” Christian de Boissieu pointed out. Sophie Cras qualifies this notion of solitude: “A doctorate is above all about intellectual values, principles of rigor, high standards, and creativity.”

The ceremony was an opportunity for the doctors to relive the atmosphere of that period of their lives and share what the experience had brought them. Céline Sossah, whose thesis focuses on Korean soap operas, explains: “Today is a convivial moment of sharing with the doctoral community, which we know very little about because we are really alone in our field.”

Beyond scientific work, a PhD allows you to acquire skills that go beyond the academic sphere. "My PhD helped me with public speaking, which is something we don't necessarily talk about. I learned a lot about writing, thinking... so that I could adapt to all environments and audiences. It helped me a lot,“ says another doctor, Flora Duffaud Gallici. For one of her counterparts in law, Maude Lajoinie, the ceremony itself has a special meaning: ”I find that this ritual really brings the thesis to an end."

The doctorate: academic work serving society

This solemn occasion was also an opportunity for the university president, Christine Neau-Leduc, to highlight the fundamental role of research in society: "Being a doctor does not mean withdrawing from the world, but taking part in it." This statement echoes the ambitions of the new generation of PhDs, who are looking to the future with the desire to put their knowledge to use in the professional and academic worlds.

Some wish to continue their careers in higher education, while others plan to join government ministries or pursue careers related to their disciplines, in Paris or elsewhere: “All doors are open in France, Spain, or perhaps elsewhere,” says Jordi Calabuig Serra, who holds a doctorate in geography.

The ceremony also gave the doctors an opportunity to expand their networks. “I spoke with a Doctor of Philosophy and we exchanged contact details. I also met a Doctor of Public Law who was sitting next to me, but I had never met him before,” says Maude Lajoinie, Doctor of Law, illustrating how research and this ceremony can create links between disciplines.

In his closing speech, Christian de Boissieu called for greater recognition of research in France: “Doctorates are not valued enough in France. After all this effort and investment, we must fight to ensure that this changes.” As for Sophie Cras, she expressed her confidence and enthusiasm for these new PhD graduates.

“I find the new generation extremely exciting. There is a sense of transmission and reinvention of what it means to be a researcher. It's a pleasure to see how it is reinventing itself.”

This ceremony was an opportunity to highlight the importance of thesis work and to recognize and reward the efforts that go into it. This solemn and important ritual for the university marks the beginning of a new adventure for these 116 researchers, a new generation of researchers of whom the university is proud and grateful.