🚨 [Ghost patron, puppet patron] BNP Paribas, quasi-exclusive financier of the Sciences for a Sustainable World (SMD) degree 🤑 Thanks to a court decision, we finally have the amounts paid by the two patrons of the BNP degree! 🔥 👇
![🚨 [Ghost patron, puppet patron] BNP Paribas, quasi-exclusive financier of the Sciences for a Sustainable World (SMD) de](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FV8IFk3XoAE-zm2.png)
![🚨 [Ghost patron, puppet patron] BNP Paribas, quasi-exclusive financier of the Sciences for a Sustainable World (SMD) de](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FV8IFk4XoAAEZfZ.png)
After a two-year legal battle, the Paris Administrative Court has ordered PSL University (@psl_univ) to provide us with the amounts of funding from BNP Paribas and Foncia for the "Sciences for a Sustainable World" degree. ⚖️
PSL has finally sent us the financing amounts for the BNP license. It's appalling, far worse than anything we could have imagined. €7,985,129 over 6 years for BNP. €300,000 over 3 years for Foncia. Joke's over.
The figures speak for themselves: Foncia, with an amount almost 30 times lower than that of BNP, is there for the sake of appearances. Engie is not involved, contrary to what was indicated at the PSL Board of Directors (CA) meeting (p. 12)!
PSL's management welcomed a plurality of patrons, reinforcing the group's independence from them. A phantom patron and another puppet, for a cardboard independence.
Furthermore, Alain Fuchs, the president of PSL, claimed that the training was mostly funded by the state. But this doesn't hold up if we compare the amount of BNP donations to the annual expenses required for a student in France.
Indeed, BNP sponsorship amounts to approximately 2 million euros per year for three classes of 30 students, or more than 22,000 euros per student per year, well above the average cost, namely approximately 12,000 euros.
With patronage alone, the program would already be extremely well-funded. If, as Mr. Fuchs says, the state provided the majority of funding, the cost per student would come to at least €44,000 per student per year, a completely unbelievable sum.
Unless Mr. Fuchs is referring to the tax breaks that BNP received in return for the donation, which amounted to 60% of the donation amount. 💰
Confidentiality is very convenient because it allows anyone to say anything. How can PSL still claim that this training is independent of its (almost) sole sponsor?
How can we believe that when it comes to renewing or not renewing its financing after 2024, BNP Paribas will not be in a strong position to impose its conditions?
It would be disastrous if the training were to suddenly cease to be funded, even though it lasts three years and students will have signed up to earn a bachelor's degree. PSL will then have no choice but to beg the patron to renew his alms...
Finally, PSL promised that there would be no quid pro quo. It should be noted that Laurent David, CEO of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, and Philippe Salle, Chairman of Foncia, were appointed to the PSL Foundation's Board of Directors in February 2021 (p. 3).
Where is the independence of public higher education? Any compromise of this public service with private interests runs the risk of a loss of independence, degraded teaching, pressure, and controlled research.
Thank you for following us on this adventure, which now ends with a great victory that calls for others. Let's fight for free, egalitarian, and emancipatory public higher education for all! ✊
For further information: The Court's decision in full.
Read @soazigleneve in @lemondefr. 👇
Also read @ABouviala in @AEFsuprecherche. 👇
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@Minimaliste13 @reesmarc @Xberne @PaulaForteza @MathildePanot @marietouss1 @VillaniCedric @mlalerte @RaveaudGilles The sponsorship agreements for BNP Paribas and Foncia which were sent to us in full, but with the amounts hidden (the figures were only sent to us by email, separately, after the court decision). 👇