Presentation of the citizen consultation
From March 10 to April 30, 2025, CNRS Mathematics organized a major national consultation on the place of mathematics in our society. The results of this citizen consultation will be presented at the Palais du Luxembourg (French Senate) on December 8, 2025.
Consultation schedule
Background to the consultation
France is a global leader in mathematical research. It is the second most awarded nation in terms of Fields Medals (the most prestigious award in mathematics), and mathematics is the discipline for which French universities are most highly ranked in global university rankings1 .
Nevertheless, the situation of mathematics in France is a cause for concern. The general level of mathematics among the population as a whole is declining2 , and careers in mathematics are struggling to attract students (there are regularly fewer applicants than positions available). Finally, the practice of mathematics remains highly gendered and selective.
However, proficenc in mathematics is essential in our lives. For counting, measuring, optimizing, and making decisions. It forms the basis of many everyday actions and is essential for functioning in a society as digital and mathematical as ours. Mathematics also plays a structuring role in the development of critical and scientific thinking and enables the analysis of numerical information and orders of magnitude.
This is why CNRS Mathematics of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) is conducting a broad reflection to imagine an ambitious place and broad access to mathematics in French society. An “Assises des mathématiques” (Mathematics national Conference) was already held in 2022 with all the key players in mathematics in France.
CNRS Mathematics wishes to open this discussion to the entire population and is launching a major citizen consultation on March 10, 2025, during Mathematics Week: « Aux maths citoyennes, citoyens ! Grande consultation nationale » (“Citizens, get involved in math! Major national consultation").
Stages of the consultation
- An online consultation (March 10 to April 30, 2025) to gather citizens' perceptions and desires regarding mathematics;
- A series of workshops for citizens (from early March to April 30, 2025), organized by those who wish to contribute to the debate;
- Two citizen panels (May to July 2025) to answer the questions “How can we improve access to mathematics for everyone at all stages of life? What tools and venues could help to achieve this?”
CNRS Mathematics wants to give as many people as possible a voice through online consultation and citizen workshops. The institute also wants to focus on disparities in access to mathematics throughout life. The two panels will therefore be made of people who are likely to be exposed to forms of exclusion related to mathematics (linked to gender, social background, or geography).
- 1https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/gras/2024/RS0101
- 2France ranks below the average of OECD countries and provinces in mathematics for fourth-grade students and last (along with Wallonia) among European countries – TIMSS survey, conducted in 2023 and published on Wednesday, December 4; An OECD survey on adult skills published in December 2024 highlights that France ranks below the OECD average in arithmetic and problem solving.
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