Sorbonne Université

Profile narrative

Sorbonne Université is a multidisciplinary public research university headquartered in Paris, France, formed in 2018 through the merger of Paris-Sorbonne University and Pierre and Marie Curie University. The institution integrates three primary faculties—Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering, and Medicine—delivering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs to a student population exceeding 50,000. Its engineering school, Polytech Sorbonne, operates as an internal school offering specialized curricula in fields such as computer science, electronics, and materials science. The university conducts fundamental and applied research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, hosting numerous joint research units with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), and other national bodies. It maintains a network of campuses throughout the Paris metropolitan area and engages in extensive international academic partnerships, student mobility programs, and collaborative research projects worldwide.

As a public establishment of a scientific, cultural, and professional nature (EPSCP), Sorbonne Université operates under the oversight of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and holds a leading position in national and international rankings, particularly in mathematics, physics, and marine sciences. The university’s structure includes component institutions such as Polytech Sorbonne and several specialized institutes, though it does not have a parent company or private ownership structure. In 2025, the institution faced two significant cybersecurity events. On March 7, a cyberattack directed at Polytech Sorbonne triggered the isolation of the affected information system; preliminary investigations indicated a limited scope, and immediate containment measures were implemented. On June 1, a more extensive cyberattack disrupted central information systems, resulting in unauthorized access to professional email accounts, banking details, social security numbers, and staff compensation data. In compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, the university notified the French data protection authority (CNIL) and the national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and filed a formal legal complaint. Remediation and system hardening efforts remain ongoing while essential services continue to function.

Incidents

2 incidents linked to this organisation.