Our Vision of Education
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A founding mission since 1889
From its creation, the Institut Pasteur placed education at the heart of its scientific project. In 1889, Émile Roux launched the first microbiology course, the “Technical Microbiology Course.” The ambition was innovative: to closely link teaching, experimentation and scientific research.
This initiative quickly attracted students from across Europe. Between 1889 and 1914, more than 2,300 learners were trained at the Institut Pasteur.
More than a century later, this legacy remains alive. The “Technical Microbiology Course” has evolved with scientific advances to become one of today’s Pasteur Courses dedicated to microbiology. It illustrates the continuity of the same ambition: to transmit the latest knowledge in direct connection with research.
An educational approach that evolves with science
While its founding principles remain unchanged, the Institut Pasteur’s educational formats have continuously evolved to meet learners’ needs and address major global health challenges.
Alongside the in-person Pasteur Courses, the Institut Pasteur has progressively developed new training pathways, including international doctoral programmes, Graduate Schools, the Specialised Mastère in Global Health, research internships and immersion programmes, and, since 2015, a range of MOOCs whose content is freely accessible worldwide.
Education at the forefront of global health challenges
This evolution also reflects the rapid advances in the life and health sciences. As new challenges emerge, the Institut Pasteur continuously adapts its educational programmes to provide the knowledge and skills needed to address them. The topics covered are closely aligned with the Institut Pasteur's major scientific priorities, as defined in the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan, including emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, global health, the impact of climate change on health, diseases at both ends of life, and new technological and digital approaches applied to the life sciences.
This diversification enables the Institut Pasteur to support a wide range of learners—from students and PhD candidates to researchers and healthcare professionals—while preserving the distinctive features of its educational approach: a close connection between research, experimentation and innovation.
One shared ambition for more than 130 years
Training goes far beyond transmitting knowledge: it is about preparing minds to anticipate, understand and transform the world.
Training means creating experiences that transform curiosity into competence and action.
A mission with a global reach
Education is one of the Institut Pasteur's key drivers of international impact.
Through its academic partnerships, the Pasteur Network and the development of international programmes, the Institut Pasteur welcomes learners from around the world every year and fosters the global exchange of knowledge.
This international outlook enriches the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and scientific perspectives.