Thierry Caquet, new Vice-President of International Policy at INRAE

After starting his career as a lecturer-researcher in freshwater ecology and ecotoxicology, Thierry Caquet joined INRA, now INRAE, in 2001 to study the impact of chemical pollution on aquatic ecosystems. He was a member of various scientific boards and committees, working groups and other bodies before even joining INRAE, and became increasingly involved in several cross-cutting roles at the Institute. He has also held roles at a number of its public partners. This extensive experience will be useful in carrying out his new responsibilities.

An ongoing investment for the community...

Holding the role of Deputy Head of the Forest, Grassland and Freshwater Ecology division (EFPA) at INRA from 2008, and then that of Scientific Director of Environment since 2017, have helped Thierry acquire in-depth knowledge of internal operations at INRAE and at its partners in higher education and research. Thierry Caquet already takes an international outlook, be it by encouraging research teams at the EFPA division to collaborate with counterparts abroad, or by representing the Institute in the international community as Scientific Director, alongside Jean-François Soussana, then Vice-President of International Policy, and Philippe Mauguin, CEO of INRAE.

His familiarity with community also stems from his extensive involvement in the merger between INRA and Irstea which began in 2017, a process which he supported with conviction. Added to this, Thierry Caquet naturally seeks out others: other partnerships, other visions, and other ways of working.  It is not surprising, therefore, that Thierry has been involved with the Partnership for European Environmental Research PEER network since 2020 and became its Chair at the end of 2023. This large-scale partnership involving eight research centres is an opportunity for Thierry Caquet to work with counterparts in a context driven by strategic considerations and the need to build a shared vision of science and the environment.

to develop international activities

In his new role, Thierry Caquet will continue the work of his predecessor, Jean-François Soussana, and has lauded the international development led by him. Thierry Caquet also aims to increase the prominence and renown of INRAE at the European and international level.

“It is an opportunity to put things into perspective and seek out new endeavours, in new countries, for example, or new areas of research,” explains Thierry Caquet. One example of what he means is the further pursuit and enhancement of existing partnerships in China, Japan, Brazil and the United States, and the development of new ones in South Korea and Taiwan (and possibly with Chile and Vietnam in the longer term). Another is his intention to boost the visibility of INRAE in areas related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and agrobiodiversity in particular.

He also wishes to help consolidate international initiatives, some of which focus on topics particularly close to his heart, so that INRAE can fully play its role, such as One Forest Vision, which he now coordinates for INRAE. Likewise, at a later stage, PEER network members could potentially play a role in the Research in Partnership with Africa (TSARA) initiative.

Co-developing and sharing knowledge beyond borders to advance the joint endeavour of rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow in the interest of the common good.

A shared systemic vision of major challenges

“As part of a broader global strategy, these perspectives will contribute to increasing our visibility on today’s major challenges, together with other scientists and other countries”. Meeting this challenge on the ground also involves supporting a greater involvement of INRAE scientists in initiatives led by major international panels and organizations, such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

For Thierry Caquet, these objectives call for a realistic and measured approach to ensure the correct level of investment and significant leverage while paying equal attention to different issues.

He has identified other focal points: the adjective “international”, for example, is a reminder that the world starts at France’s borders, and that INRAE’s European and international strategy must be interconnected. Thierry sums up this continuum as a give-and-take, win-win relationship based on the co-development and sharing of knowledge beyond borders to advance the joint endeavour of rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow in the interest of the common good.