Three new Chair positions at USIAS
USIAS is pleased to announce the establishment of three new chair positions with a duration of two years, for Strasbourg-based researchers who have made an exceptional contribution to their field. The first chairs have been conferred to Frédéric Colin and Brigitte Kieffer.
The chair positions encompass the three main academic domains: the humanities and social sciences, the life sciences, and the natural sciences. The positions are named after famous academics from the history of the University of Strasbourg. During their tenure, the chair holders will join the Governing Board of permanent Chairs as temporary members.
The Marc Bloch Chair in the social sciences and humanities is named in honour of Marc Bloch (1886-1944), a French historian who was a professor of medieval history at the University of Strasbourg from 1921-1936. Co-founder of the historical journal “Annales”, he was known for his work on comparative and economic history, and his interest in interdisciplinarity.
The first USIAS Marc Bloch Chair has been awarded to Frédéric Colin, professor of Egyptology, director of the Institute of Egyptology, and curator of the Egyptian collection at the University of Strasbourg. He works in the area of history, archaeology, papyrology and philology, and pioneers various forms of interdisciplinary research.
The Paul Ehrlich Chair in the life sciences is named in honour of Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915), a German physician and scientist who studied in Strasbourg and is widely recognized for his research on haematology, immunology and pharmacology. Known as the father of chemotherapy, he was awarded the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to immunology. He was the founder of the present-day Paul Ehrlich Institute, a German federal institute for vaccines and biomedicines.
The first Paul Ehrlich Chair has been awarded to Brigitte Kieffer, research director in molecular neurobiology at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) at the Centre for Research in Biomedicine of Strasbourg (CRBS), known for her research on opiate receptors.
The Marguerite Perey Chair in the natural sciences is named in honour of Marguerite Perey (1909-1975), a French physicist who is recognised for her discovery of the element francium. In her early career, she was mentored by Marie Curie and subsequently studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. She was made head of department of nuclear chemistry at the University of Strasbourg in 1949 and was the first woman to be elected at the French Academy of Sciences in 1962.
The award of the first Marguerite Perey Chair position at USIAS is foreseen in 2023.
