Jean Audouze is an astrophysicist, Emeritus Director of Research at the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and Chair of the association Prévenance – apprenons à vivre ensemble (Consideration - learning to live together). He is an alumni of the École Normale Supérieure, has a Doctorate in physics and spent his career at the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) from 1965 to 2008. He taught astrophysics at the École Polytechnique from 1974 to 1989 and exact sciences at Sciences Po from 1990 to 2008. He ran the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris from 1978 to 1989, was appointed as a Scientific Adviser to the Elysée from 1989 to 1993, was the Chair of L'Établissement Public du Parc et de la Grande Halle de la Villette from 1993 to 1996 and managed the Palais de la Découverte science museum from 1998 to 2004. He jointly organised the European Research and Innovation Exhibition from 2004 to 2009. He also advised the President of the CNRS on scientific patronage from 2008 to 2011 and was the Chair of the French Commission for UNESCO from 2010 to 2015.

He has written twenty books, most of which are on astrophysics. In 2004, he was awarded the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularisation of Science for his book; he is a Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur, Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, Chevalier des Palmes Académiques and is an honorary citizen of the city of Dunhuang in China.