"One of the key issues in dealing with these difficult challenges is to make sure all citizens are well informed, in particular the young ones, who will have to live with the consequences."

---

Philippe Lacour-Gayet

Born in Paris, France, 1947
Diplome Grande Ecole, Mining Engineering

Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris, 1969

DEA, Physics

Université Paris Sud (Paris XI), 1971

Doctorate, Physics

Universite Paris-Sud, 1974

Field of work

Energy Systems and Climate Change

I was born in Paris in August 1947. My father’s family was all historians, so I decided I should be interested in something different, and I fell in love with science. On my mother’s side, there were doctors and one famous scientist (Francois Arago, a physicist and astronomer who contributed to the early study of electromagnetism) so I got support on that side. .

After studying to be an engineer at Ecole des Mines in Paris, I turned to science and earned a PhD in Physics from Universite Paris-Sud in 1974. I studied Theoretical Physics, because I loved Mathematics. I still do today.

I joined Schlumberger in 1974 in Paris and started an international career in Research, Development and Marketing in France, US, UK and Japan which has lasted 32 years.

Today I am the Chief Scientist of Schlumberger, and my key personal interest is in Energy Systems and Climate Change. I helped start the Global Energy and Climate Project at Stanford University, and I am a member of the EU Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plant Technology Platform. One of the key issues in dealing with these difficult challenges is to make sure all citizens are well informed, in particular the young ones, who will have to live with the consequences. I am happy to support SEED in its efforts to promote good science education around the world.