ExclusiveFrench Ministry of Higher Education's initiative to create a European Doctorate Day from 2026

An initiative is launched by the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research to gather support for the creation of a European Doctoral Day, News Tank learns on 22/04/2025.

"This questionnaire aims to collect expressions of support for this initiative to start procedures with the European Commission and announce a first event on 13/05/2026. If possible, this announcement could be made on 13/05/2025", states the online questionnaire.

The creation of this event is included in the recommendations of the report by Sylvie Pommier, doctoral coordinator at the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research, and Xavier Lazarus, managing partner of the venture capital company Elaia, on the attractiveness of doctoral studies.

This work was submitted on 05/11/2024 to Patrick Hetzel, then Minister for Higher Education and Research. He mentioned three priorities for the doctorate, including the creation of a European Doctorate Day.

The questionnaire states that doctors "are key drivers of innovation in society and for humanity, indispensable for meeting the challenges of a world in…