Mines Nancy (Université de Lorraine) has appointed François Lesage as Director of its Ingénieur Civil des Mines engineering program for a three-year term. A professor and researcher in process engineering at ENSIC since 2001 and its Director of Industrial Partnerships from 2021 to 2025, he succeeds Vincent Schick, who held the position since 2024. The appointment was made by François Alter, Director General of Mines Nancy.
A career spanning teaching, research and industry
François Lesage, Director of the Ingénieur Civil des Mines program at Mines Nancy
François Lesage has taught and researched at ENSIC since 2001, with over twenty years of experience in higher education, research and building links between academic programs and companies. He has contributed to teaching in computer science, numerical methods, optimization and process engineering. He led Procédis, a work-study program under a professionalization contract, from 2018 to 2021, then served from 2021 to 2025 as Director of Industrial Partnerships on the school’s leadership team, strengthening ties with companies, setting up partnerships and organizing events with industry.
At LRGP, his research covers process modeling, simulation and optimization, in collaboration with industrial and institutional partners on energy and environmental challenges.
His mission
As Director of the Ingénieur Civil des Mines program, François Lesage oversees the organization of the curriculum, supports students throughout their studies and contributes to recruiting future students. He will also take part in the school’s strategic thinking on its programs, working with the scientific departments, companies and partners of Mines Nancy. He reports to the Director of Studies and works closely with the registrar’s office and support departments.
“François Lesage’s appointment is another illustration of the strength of our ecosystem: a Université de Lorraine and a Collégium Lorraine INP able to move talent between our schools for the benefit of our programs. […] I know I can count on his experience and his ability to rally teams to take up this challenge and make the Ingénieur Civil des Mines program a reference model for tomorrow’s engineer.”
François Alter, Director General of Mines Nancy
“Student success and maintaining the excellence of our program will be at the heart of my work: two requirements that, in my view, cannot be separated. […] I will stand alongside our students to guide them through their personal and professional journeys, and sometimes behind them, to push them at the right moment.”
François Lesage
A generalist engineering program in continuous transformation
The program inherits the vision of Bertrand Schwartz, Director of the École des Mines de Nancy from 1957 to 1966, who profoundly renewed generalist engineering education. The creation of the Alliance Artem in the 2000s added a cross-disciplinary approach combining engineering, management and creation.
The program today rests on:
- five scientific departments: Materials, Energy, Industrial Engineering and Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Geosciences and Civil Engineering;
- four tracks: Research, Artem, Entrepreneurship, Industry;
- an updated core curriculum and elective offering covering socio-ecological transformation, generative AI and industrial sovereignty.
Mines Nancy thanks Vincent Schick, Director of the program since 2024, for his unwavering commitment and the quality of his work. Under his leadership, the program underwent major changes that have lastingly strengthened one of the school’s flagship curricula.
