French Institutes of Technology (IUTs) as Laboratories for Climate-Aware Decision-Making

Abstract

Climatic change is not merely a natural disaster but a crisis of collective judgment, exposing the challenges that governance and educational systems face in navigating uncertainty. Constrained by outdated predictive models and indicators derived from a historically stable world, educators often prioritize analytical calculation over the capacity to perceive connections, anticipate complexity, and imagine possibilities. Consequently, approaching action as a balance between analytical rigor and creative intuition becomes essential. French Institutes of Technology (IUTs, “U” for University) exemplify this approach: their strong local engagement and close ties with professional sectors support a pedagogy grounded in real-world challenges, where decision-making confronts uncertainty and complexity. Through a rigorous integration of theory and practice, IUTs cultivate undergraduate students capable of exercising discernment in unstable environments, avoiding the creation of “hemiplegic” decision-makers confined to a single mode of thought. This perspective highlights that hybridization of knowledge and practical skills offers a powerful means of responding to the intellectual, social, and political disorientation revealed by contemporary climate crises.

Keywords: Climatic change, Decision-making, France, Institutes of Technology (IUTs), Pedagogical innovation, Uncertainty, Undergraduate students

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-4-05

Publication date: April 30^th 2026