THE COLLEGE DE FRANCE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON SCIENTIFIC AND STRATEGIC ORIENTATION (COSS)

The International Committee on Scientific and Strategic Orientation (COSS) was created by the Collège de France in 2003. The COSS consists of 12 leading scholars and scientists from abroad, chosen by the Assembly of the Professors which also appoints the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Committee. The Secretary is appointed by the members of the COSS.
The role of the COSS is to "analyse the Collège de France's scientific and strategic orientations and the conditions for fulfilling its missions, so that it can make recommendations on how these might evolve or be enhanced. The COSS also examines the coherence of the institution's strategy, the significance and exploitation of the multidisciplinarity of its Chairs, its international policy, the adequacy of its research resources in relation to its objectives, and the optimisation of its administrative structures. The COSS is not expected to individually examine the scientific activities of each Chair as these are evaluated by outside experts."

The members of the COSS are appointed for a period of four years, and half of the Committee is renewed every four years.

Composition of the COSS

Anthony ATKINSON, economics, UK
Peter Joseph McCORMICK, philosophy, Canada (Vice-chairman)
Robert DARNTON, history, USA
Denis DUBOULE, biology, Switzerland
Detlev GANTEN, biology, Germany (Chairman)
Paolo MATTHIAE, archaeology, Italy
Jürgen MLYNEK, physics, Germany
Jacob PALIS, mathematics, Brazil
David PARKIN, anthropology, UK
Jacques REISSE, chemistry, Belgium (Secretary)
Barbara ROMANOWICZ, geophysics, USA
Karlheinz STIERLE, literature, Germany