Radicalis
(2020-ongoing)
Radical: from Latin radicalis (“pertaining to the root”).
The Université de Paris 8 Vincennes–Saint-Denis holds a distinctive place in the history of higher education in France. Born out of the struggle of May 1968, it was designed as an “anti-Sorbonne”, a place to challenge academic elitism. One of its principles was to be a “university open to all”, including blue-collar workers and non-high school graduates. The university, initially located in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes and called the “Centre universitaire expérimental de Vincennes” (1969-1980), was also a place of intellectual avant- garde, bringing together prominent thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Jean-François Lyotard, among others.
Today, more than fifty years after its foundation, the radical identity of Paris 8 continues to be nourished by the political commitment of its students and significant events such as the occupation of the campus in 2018 to denounce the migration policies of the French government. More recently, students have led important blockades against the 2023 pension reform. This project aims to examine the mythical past of the Université de Paris 8, its current context as well as its link with the territory that surrounds it.
(2020-ongoing)
Radical: from Latin radicalis (“pertaining to the root”).
The Université de Paris 8 Vincennes–Saint-Denis holds a distinctive place in the history of higher education in France. Born out of the struggle of May 1968, it was designed as an “anti-Sorbonne”, a place to challenge academic elitism. One of its principles was to be a “university open to all”, including blue-collar workers and non-high school graduates. The university, initially located in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes and called the “Centre universitaire expérimental de Vincennes” (1969-1980), was also a place of intellectual avant- garde, bringing together prominent thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Jean-François Lyotard, among others.
Today, more than fifty years after its foundation, the radical identity of Paris 8 continues to be nourished by the political commitment of its students and significant events such as the occupation of the campus in 2018 to denounce the migration policies of the French government. More recently, students have led important blockades against the 2023 pension reform. This project aims to examine the mythical past of the Université de Paris 8, its current context as well as its link with the territory that surrounds it.
(2020-ongoing)
Radical: from Latin radicalis (“pertaining to the root”).
The Université de Paris 8 Vincennes–Saint-Denis holds a distinctive place in the history of higher education in France. Born out of the struggle of May 1968, it was designed as an “anti-Sorbonne”, a place to challenge academic elitism. One of its principles was to be a “university open to all”, including blue-collar workers and non-high school graduates. The university, initially located in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes and called the “Centre universitaire expérimental de Vincennes” (1969-1980), was also a place of intellectual avant- garde, bringing together prominent thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Jean-François Lyotard, among others.
Today, more than fifty years after its foundation, the radical identity of Paris 8 continues to be nourished by the political commitment of its students and significant events such as the occupation of the campus in 2018 to denounce the migration policies of the French government. More recently, students have led important blockades against the 2023 pension reform. This project aims to examine the mythical past of the Université de Paris 8, its current context as well as its link with the territory that surrounds it.