Professor Jean-François HOARAU elected President of the University of Reunion
17th February 2025
The Board of Directors of the University of La Réunion, which was held this Monday, February 17, 2025, elected Professor Jean-François HOARAU, University Professor of Economic Sciences, President of the University of La Réunion
The Board of Directors of the University of La Réunion, which was held this Monday, February 17, 2025, elected Professor Jean-François HOARAU, University Professor of Economics, President of the University of La Réunion. This election was won with 21 votes in favor of Professor Jean-François HOARAU against 14 votes for Dr. Richard LORION.
With a recognized academic background and solid experience in the field of university governance, enriched by numerous scientific responsibilities and distinctions for the quality of his doctoral supervision, Professor HOARAU will chair the University for a four-year term, succeeding Professor Jacques COMBY who has been providing provisional administration in recent months and whom the Establishment would like to thank.
A new dynamic for our establishment
After a complex period for the University of La Réunion, its agents and students, this new mandate begins with strong commitments. It aims to build a space for teaching, research and innovation with respect for people, overcoming cultural differences, transcending political and ideological differences, accepting criticism et by bringing the debates to lifeThe goal is for everyone to rediscover the taste for commitment and for our institution to reconnect with its vitality, its influence and its capacity to inspire, bring together and transform the future for students and the region.
A pivotal moment to consolidate the place of the University of Reunion in the regional basin.
The University of La Réunion, an academic and scientific beacon in the heart of the Indian Ocean, must today face the challenges of a world where inequalities are growing, where environmental tensions are increasing, where economic dynamics are being reshaped. Our region and the Indian Ocean are not spared by these upheavals. Our University has exceptional potential in strategic areas such as the sea, the environment, energy and digital technologies. The President has the ambition to mobilize all resources and energies to make the University of La Réunion a key player in major scientific and societal transitions through ambitious research with local, regional and international influence.
“The University is at the heart of our Republic, and students are the beating heart of the University. A space for differences, debate, and reflection, it guides our actions and choices. Assuming the presidency of the University of Réunion is an act of responsibility and commitment, the result of long reflection fueled by deep convictions and an unwavering attachment to our territory. My career, shaped by the education passed on by my parents, has taught me integrity, responsibility, and perseverance, values that I am committed to putting at the service of our institution. The future of our university rests on a collective ambition: to promote Réunion, cultivate excellence, and support each student toward success. Be ambitious! Pooling our talents and ideas will be the key to our success. Let us be a beacon for the Indian Ocean, a university where innovation, research, and teaching intertwine to build a sustainable future. Thank you for your commitment and your trust.”
The election of Jean-François Hoarau opens a new page, marking both a key stage in the development of the University of La Réunion, but also the beginning of a peaceful era resolutely focused on research, innovation and the success of all its students.
This dynamic will be based on ambitious and unifying projects, offering everyone—teaching staff, teacher-researchers and BIATSS staff—a framework conducive to expression and development.
