An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of LEST, convened at the request of the laboratory's members, adopted on October 12, 2026, a motion supporting high school and student mobilizations for the defense of public education, higher education, and research. The assembly expresses its solidarity in the face of deteriorating training conditions, lack of resources and supervision, university selection methods, and inequalities in access to higher education.
The motion also denounces the closure of university sites, police interventions, and attacks on academic freedoms. It raises concerns about the consequences of budget restrictions and the degradation of staff working conditions.
Beyond this assessment, the assembly calls for the reopening of campuses, the absence of penalties for mobilized students, the abolition of differentiated registration fees for non-EU students, and an increase in resources for public higher education.
More broadly, it calls on staff in higher education and research to mobilize to defend a public service that is accessible, egalitarian, and adequately funded to meet its ambitions.
The motion was also adopted by the laboratory council with 12 votes in favor, 1 against, and 2 abstentions, out of 15 votes cast.
