‘University public companies’ get the green light

Joint partnerships between local authorities and universities given go-ahead despite union opposition

The passage into law of an act that hands joint control of university buildings to the institutions themselves and local authorities marks the latest phase of French president Emmanuel Macron’s market reform of higher education.

Under the Differentiation, Decentralisation, Deconcentration and Simplification (3DS) Act, which became law on 22 February, French universities will partner with local authorities to found businesses called ‘local university public companies’. These jointly created companies, inspired by the model of the ‘local public companies’ legal structure created in 2006, will be dedicated to the management of university real-estate assets, including regeneration and construction. A provision in the law forbids asset stripping, however.