Jean-Christophe POPIEUL appointed Director of INSA Hauts-de-France
Jean-Christophe POPIEUL took up his post as Director of INSA Hauts-de-France on September 1, 2025 for a five-year term. He succeeds Armel DE LA BOURDONNAYE.
A combination of teaching and research
Jean-Christophe POPIEUL joined the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (Valenciennes) in 1994 as a senior lecturer, after obtaining a PhD in Automatics at the LAMIH UMR CNRS 8201 laboratory, a joint research unit between the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France and the CNRS, specializing in transport and human mobility.
He became a University Professor on September 1, 2004. He has been at INSA Hauts-de-France since its creation in January 2020, where he mainly teaches industrial computing. A researcher in the field of human-centered automation, he has applied his work to the automation of automotive and rail vehicles. He has supervised over 20 doctoral theses and HDRs, and published his work in some 150 international journals and conferences. Throughout his career, he has been heavily involved in research partnerships between academics and industry. He has led a number of research projects, notably ELSAT2020 and RITMEA, multi-year projects with a budget of around 30 million euros each, bringing together 300 researchers from some thirty laboratories throughout the Hauts-de-France region.
ELSAT2020 and RITMEA, two multi-year projects with a budget of around 30 million euros each, bringing together 300 researchers from some thirty laboratories throughout the Hauts-de-France region.
A project rooted in its region and aligned with the DNA of the INSA Group
Three major axes will structure his mandate at INSA Hauts-de-France:
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The development of training programs in line with the changing professional world, responding to technological, societal and environmental challenges, and combining scientific skills with the humanist values of the INSA Group. Research will be at the heart of the training offer to prepare students capable of positioning innovation at the service of society.
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The reinforcement of existing schemes aimed at combating social determinism and promoting diversity within the various graduating classes, true to the vision carried by Gaston Berger, founder of the INSA model. The aim of this commitment is to build ever more open teaching environments, while promoting the plurality of career paths and talents.
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Consolidating the Institute's roots at the heart of its territory to maintain the proximity and dynamic built with local companies and manufacturers. This collective wealth will nourish training, research and partnerships for the benefit of all.