Founded as an experimental academic centre in Vincennes in 1969 in reaction to the student protests of 1968, Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis has become a major teaching and research centre for the humanities in France. Now placed in Saint-Denis, Paris 8 continues the same struggle that birthed it: the fight for social justice and free, critical education in the political heart of France.

 

The main objective of Université Paris 8 - with its focus on humanities, human sciences, arts, and social sciences - has always been to give students from all points in life a broadened understanding of the modern world while enabling them, at the same time, to achieve a long-term integration into society.

 

Thus, it focuses on inclusiveness. As a result, the institution is enriched greatly by the  diversity and openness that is achieved: with 30% international students and 157 nationalities represented among them, Paris 8 holds a historic tradition of welcoming and cultural diversity. In this sense, the university reflects the global metropolis of Paris; however, what Paris sees in this mirror is a highly critical and politically active student body tirelessly defending their ideals as well as those that Paris 8 was founded upon, in a fight against neoliberal cuts to education that threaten these ideals.

 

The innovative nature of the research undertaken here can be traced back to the various fields studied at Université Paris 8. The university became a pioneer in fields that were usually not approached by other French universities: psychoanalysis, urban planning, geopolitics, cinema, plastic arts, gender studies, etc. To this day, Université Paris 8 has insisted on maintaining a strong link between research and teaching, providing education for all at every stage of life.

 

The alternative, critical, non-competitive, and supportive approach that characterizes Paris 8 commits it more than ever to creative approaches and development, including international development.

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