Podcast of the Month: Claudie Haigneré

Claudie Haigneré is known as the first European woman to have traveled into space. That was in 1996, during the Franco-Russian Cassiopée mission. And again in 2001, when, as chief flight engineer, she became the first Frenchwoman on the ISS.

She is also known as a politician who served as Minister Delegate for Research and New Technologies from 2002 to 2004 and then as Minister Delegate for European Affairs until 2005.

She is also a prominent executive who will take the helm of Universcience, the institution that, starting in 2009, will bring together the Palais de la Découverte and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie.

The one nicknamed “BAC + 19.”

She is also credited with paving the way for women in corporate leadership at a very early stage: her career has taken her to the boards of Sanofi, France Telecom, La Géode, and the École normale supérieure… as well as several foundations, including the Fondation de France, the L’Oréal Foundation, the CGénial Foundation, and the Lacoste Foundation.

A woman with a big heart, she serves as a patron of organizations working to make science more accessible and to apply scientific innovations to projects that build communities for the common good (Des ailes pour la science, SpaceBus) and promote solidarity (Solidarité Défense).

The woman known as “Bac +19,” who has received numerous medals and awards, refuses to be confined to the stereotype of the unapproachable, strong-willed woman: In a lengthy interview with France Culture in October 2021, she stated , “I don’t offer a formula for success, because there is no specific formula for success. There’s the courage to try new things and to tell yourself that you must take as much responsibility as possible for your choices. Don’t listen to the constraints that others on the outside will impose on you. You already have enough on your mind. There’s no point in listening to those of others.”

To listen to the full interview, click here!