Dr Catherine Ris is Professor of Economics and President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Caledonia (UNC), a position she has held since 2021. She is the first woman to lead the university. She also chairs the New Caledonia Research and Innovation Consortium (CRESICA) and co-chairs the Pacific Islands Universities Regional Network (PIURN), playing a key role in shaping research priorities, strengthening scientific cooperation, and advancing higher education and research across the Pacific.

After completing her PhD at the University of Lyon, France, she undertook postdoctoral research at Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and obtained her Habilitation à diriger des recherches from the University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée.

Since joining UNC in 2003, Catherine Ris has played an active role in developing higher education, research and innovation in New Caledonia.

Her research focuses on development, labour and education economics, particularly inequalities in access to higher education, educational attainment and labour-market outcomes, and the evaluation of public policies aimed at reducing inequalities.

With over two decades of experience in the Pacific, she is committed to strengthening regional research cooperation, supporting future generations of scholars, and advancing research that addresses the challenges and priorities of Pacific communities.