A graduate from École Polytechnique (class 1966), Jean-Pierre BOURGUIGNON holds a PhD in Mathematical Sciences from University Paris VII (1974). His research concerns differential geometry and mathematical aspects of theoretical physics.

After serving 44 years at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in 2013, he became Directeur de recherche emeritus.

He taught Mathematics at École polytechnique (1986-2012) and was Director of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Bures-sur-Yvette (1994-2013).

He was president of the Société Mathématique de France (1990-1992) and of the European Mathematical Society (1995-1998).

Member of the Academia Europaea and several other academies, he holds Honorary Doctorate degrees from Nankai University, Keio University and the University of Edinburgh. He is a honorary member of the London Mathematical Society, the Deutsche Mathematiker Vereinigung and the Polish Mathematical Society.

Since 2014, Jean-Pierre BOURGUIGNON is President of the European Research Council.