Najat Vallaud-Belkacem is a French politician, who on 25 August 2014 was the first French woman to be appointed Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Research, joining the Second Valls Government.
Previously she was Minister of Women's Affairs (2012 to 2014, Ayrault government and First Valls Government, Minister of City Affairs (2012 to 2014, First Valls government), Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (2012 to 2014, First Valls government), and Government spokesperson (12012 to 2014, Ayrault government).
Vallaud-Belkacem was the spokesperson of Ségolène Royal's campaign during the 2007 French presidential election and again in 2009 for the 2011 French Socialist Party presidential primary. Since 2008, she has been a councillor of the city of Lyon, responsible for major events, youth and community life.
In 2020, she was appointed as an affiliated professor at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir, Morocco.
In March 2018, Vallaud-Belkacem joined research and polling firm Ipsos as CEO of its Global Affairs division. The department carries out research (on impact, public policy evaluation) that helps international institutions, NGOs, international foundations and other actors which act in the global public interest better make decisions.
In addition to her work with Ipsos, Vallaud-Belkacem launched and co-directs the Gender Equality and Public Policy programme at the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
