43 Notable alumni of University of Nantes
Updated: May 29, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Nantes is ranked #585 in the world and #17 in France by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 43 notable alumni from University of Nantes sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Nantes won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jean-Marc Coicaud
1957-. (aged 69)
lawyer
philosopher
Jean-Marc Coicaud is a French and American legal and political theorist focusing on global issues, among numerous other topics. He is Professor of Law and Global Affairs at Rutgers University and a Global Ethics Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. He is an elected member of the Academia Europaea. Over the years, he has lived and...
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2. Chloe Sauvourel
2000-. (aged 26)
swimmer
Chloé Marie Hélène Sauvourel is a French-born Central African swimmer. She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's 50 metre freestyle event; her time of 37.15 seconds in the heats did not qualify her for the semifinals. She was the flagbearer for her country at the Parade of Nations.
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3. Marion Guillou
1954-. (aged 72)
agronomist
Marion Guillou is a French scientist specialized in global food security.
4. Julie Dachez
1985-. (aged 41)
researcher
writer
comics writer
film actor
activist
Julie Dachez is a French social psychologist, lecturer and autistic rights activist. She's the author of Invisible Differences and Dans ta bulle! ('In your dreams!'). In 2016, she became the first openly autistic person to defend a thesis on the subject in France.
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5. Valérie Oppelt
1973-. (aged 53)
commerçants et assimilés
corporate administrative and commercial executive
politician
Valérie Oppelt is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who was elected to the French National Assembly on 18 June 2017, representing the department of Loire-Atlantique.
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6. Matéo Bohéas
1996-. (aged 30)
table tennis player
athlete
Matéo Bohéas is a French Paralympic table tennis player. He won silver in the Men's individual class 10 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
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7. Pierre-Yves Le Borgn'
1964-. (aged 62)
politician
Pierre-Yves Le Borgn’ is a French Jurist and politician. He is a member of the Socialist Party (France). He was the deputy for the Seventh constituency for French residents overseas from 2012 to 2017.
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8. Jörg M. Fegert
1956-. (aged 70)
child psychiatrist
university teacher
psychiatrist
author
psychotherapist
Jörg Michael Fegert is a German child and adolescent psychiatrist, psychotherapist and university professor.
9. Christophe Clergeau
1968-. (aged 58)
university teacher
business executive
politician
Christophe Clergeau is a French politician from the Socialist Party.
10. Germain Boffrand
1667-1754 (aged 87)
writer
sculptor
engineer of the French Corps of Bridges and Roads
architect
Germain Boffrand was a French architect. A pupil of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Germain Boffrand was one of the main creators of the precursor to Rococo called the style Régence, and in his interiors, of the Rococo itself. In his exteriors he held to a monumental Late Baroque classicism with some innovations in spatial planning that were exceptional in France. His major...
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11. Pierre Henriet
1991-. (aged 35)
professors
scientific professions
politician
Pierre Henriet is a French politician of the Renaissance (previously La République En Marche! (LREM)) who has been serving as a member of the French National Assembly since the 2017 elections, representing the department of Vendée.
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12. Paul Christophe
1971-. (aged 55)
Class A official
politician
cadres de la fonction publique
Paul Christophe is a French politician who has represented Nord's 14th constituency in the National Assembly since 2017. From September to December 2024, he briefly served as Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy, and Gender Equality in the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
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13. Janet Anderson
1949-2023 (aged 74)
politician
Janet Anderson was a British politician from the Labour Party. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Rossendale and Darwen from 1992 until 2010, when she lost her seat. She was the Minister for Tourism from 1998 to 2001, a period which included the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak. In the 2009 United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal, she was found...
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14. Christian Baudelot
1938-. (aged 88)
university teacher
sociologist
Christian Baudelot is a French sociologist based at the École normale supérieure. Many of his works have been written in collaboration with Roger Establet.
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15. Nicolae Crețulescu
1812-1900 (aged 88)
translator
linguist
physician
politician
Nicolae Kretzulescu was a Wallachian, later Romanian politician and physician. An aristocrat and member of the Kretzulescu family, he served two terms as Prime Minister of Romania: from 1862 to 1863, and from 1865 to 1866. He was also elected to the Romanian Academy, serving as its 3rd president from 1872 to 1873.
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16. Keïta Aminata Maiga
politician
Keïta Aminata Maiga, also known as Aminata Maïga Keïta, is a Malian healthcare, public health, and children's advocate, and the widow of former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Under this capacity, she served as the First Lady of Mali from 4 September 2013 until 19 August 2020. During her tenure as first lady, Maiga has promoted improvements in healthcare, education, the...
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17. Jean Rouaud
1952-. (aged 74)
writer
novelist
essayist
columnist
Jean Rouaud is a French author, who was born in Campbon, Loire-Atlantique. In 1990 his novel Fields of Glory (French: Les Champs d'honneur) won the Prix Goncourt. First believed to be the first book in a trilogy, Fields of Glory turned out to be the first book in a series of five books on the family history of the author.
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18. Patrick Deville
1957-. (aged 69)
writer
Patrick Deville is a French writer.
19. Sophie Binet
1982-. (aged 44)
trade unionist
Principal Educational Adviser
Sophie Binet is a French trade unionist who has served as general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) since 2023.
20. Claire Bretécher
1940-2020 (aged 80)
comics artist
Claire Bretécher was a French cartoonist, known particularly for her portrayals of women and gender issues. Her comics often narrated femininity from a different perspective and reinterpretted gender roles. Her creations included the satirical comic series Les Frustrés, and the unimpressed teenager Agrippine.
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21. Stéphane Le Foll
1960-. (aged 66)
professors
scientific professions
minister
politician
secondary school teacher
Stéphane Le Foll is a French politician serving as Mayor of Le Mans since 2018. A member of the Socialist Party, he was Minister of Agriculture under President François Hollande from 2012 to 2017.
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22. Jeanne Cherhal
1978-. (aged 48)
singer-songwriter
actor
Jeanne Cherhal is a French singer-songwriter.
23. Piyabutr Saengkanokkul
1980-. (aged 46)
university teacher
politician
Piyabutr Saengkanokkul is a Thai socialist academic, associate professor, former politician, and Secretary-General of the Progressive Movement, a socio-political group. He served as a member of the Thai House of Representatives and was the first and only Secretary-General for the Future Forward Party, which he co-founded in 2018. Prior to his political career, Piyabutr was an associate professor at the...
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24. Claude Sérillon
1950-. (aged 76)
journalist
news presenter
Claude Sérillon, is a French journalist and TV presenter.
25. Jacqueline Auriol
1917-2000 (aged 83)
aircraft pilot
Jacqueline Marie-Thérèse Suzanne Auriol was a French aviator who set several world speed records.
26. Pierre Bordage
1955-2025 (aged 70)
science fiction writer
screenwriter
writer
Pierre Bordage was a French science fiction author. He won the Cosmos 2000 prize in 1996 for his novel La Citadelle Hyponéros.
27. Jean-Marc Ayrault
1950-. (aged 76)
politician
Jean-Marc Joseph Marcel Ayrault is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 15 May 2012 to 31 March 2014. He later was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2017. He previously was Mayor of Nantes from 1989 to 2012 and led the Socialist Party group in the National Assembly from 1997 to 2012.
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28. François Bégaudeau
1971-. (aged 55)
literary critic
screenwriter
film director
writer
actor
François Bégaudeau is a French novelist and essayist. He is best known for co-writing and starring in The Class (2008), a film based on his 2006 semi-autobiographical novel Entre les murs. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.
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29. Sarah El Haïry
1989-. (aged 37)
corporate administrative and commercial executive
politician
cadres de la fonction publique
Sarah El Haïry is a French politician of the Democratic Movement (MoDem). She most recently served as Minister Delegate for Youth, Childhood, and Family in the Attal government in 2024. Previously, she was Secretary of State for Biodiversity from 2023 to 2024 in the Borne government.
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30. Laurent Berger
1968-. (aged 58)
trade unionist
Laurent Berger is a French labor leader. He has been the general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) between 2012 and 2023.
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31. François Bréda
1956-2018 (aged 62)
playwright
poet
literary critic
translator
essayist
François Bréda was a Hungarian-Romanian essayist, poet, literary critic, literary historian, translator and theatrologist.
32. Brigette Boucheron
1947-. (aged 79)
women's rights activist
civil libertarian
proofreader
Brigitte Boucheron is a French feminist and anarchist Lesbian activist. She was a co-founder of the women-only Bagdam Cafée in Toulouse which opened in 1988. The cafe closed in 1999 but the name lives on with annual events as a focus for lesbian culture.
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33. Charles des Jamonières
1902-1970 (aged 68)
poet
sport shooter
Charles des Jamonières was a French sport shooter who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics, in the 1948 Summer Olympics, and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.
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34. Martine Leguille-Balloy
1957-. (aged 69)
professions libérales et assimilés
lawyer
politician
Martine Leguille-Balloy is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who was elected to the French National Assembly on 18 June 2017, representing the department of Vendée.
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35. Stéphane Buchou
1974-. (aged 52)
politician
corporate administrative and commercial executive
Stéphane Buchou is a French politician who has been serving as a member of the National Assembly since the 2017 election, representing the department of Vendée. He is a member of Renaissance (RE).
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36. Christian Bouchet
1955-. (aged 71)
essayist
political activist
publisher
Christian Bouchet is a French far-right journalist and politician.
37. Amy Dahan
mathematician
Director of Research at CNRS
historian of science
Amy Dahan-Dalmédico is a French mathematician, historian of mathematics, and historian of the politics of climate change.
38. Philippe Latombe
1975-. (aged 51)
politician
corporate administrative and commercial executive
Philippe Alcibiade Marie-Joseph Latombe is a French politician of the Democratic Movement (MoDem) who has represented the 1st constituency of the Vendée department in the National Assembly since 2017.
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39. Sylvie Tellier
1978-. (aged 48)
model
beauty pageant contestant
Sylvie Tellier is a French television personality, businesswoman and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss France 2002. Previously, Tellier had been crowned Miss Lyon 2001, becoming the seventh woman from Rhône-Alpes to be crowned Miss France. As Miss France, Tellier also competed at Miss Universe 2002.
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40. Tertius Zongo
1957-. (aged 69)
diplomat
politician
Tertius Zongo was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso from June 2007 to April 2011.
41. Yvonne Okoro
1984-. (aged 42)
entrepreneur
actor
Chinyere Yvonne Okoro is a Ghanaian and Nigerian actress. Born to a Nigerian Igbo father and Ghanaian mother, Yvonne Okoro is of mixed lineage and calls herself an African. Yvonne Okoro is from Koforidua in the Eastern Parts of Ghana. She received Ghana Movie Awards Best Actress Award in 2010 and was nominated for Africa Movie Academy Awards Best Actress...
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42. Alain Mabanckou
1966-. (aged 60)
poet lawyer
university teacher
writer
children's writer
poet
Alain Mabanckou is a novelist, journalist, poet, and academic, a French citizen born in the Republic of the Congo, he is currently a Professor of Literature at UCLA. He is best known for his novels and non-fiction writing depicting the experience of contemporary Africa and the African diaspora in France, including Broken Glass (2005) and the Prix Renaudot-winning Memoirs of...
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43. Martin Parfait Aimé Coussoud-Mavoungou
1959-2022 (aged 63)
administrator
businessperson
minister
politician
Martin Parfait Aimé Coussoud-Mavoungou was a Congolese politician and businessman.