Ludovic Thilly is a Full Professor of Physics at the University of Poitiers and, since 2012, has served as Vice-Rector in charge of European Strategy and the EC2U Alliance. 

Since 2020, Professor Thilly is the Coordinator General of the EC2U European University Alliance and, since 2024, co-coordinator of FOREU4ALL, the community of practice bringing together the 65 selected European University Alliances. He has been a member of the Coimbra Group Executive Board since 2015, was elected Chair in June 2017 and has been re-elected twice since. His current mandate runs until 2028. 

He continues to teach and supervise PhD candidates. His research focuses on the deformation mechanisms of (nano-)materials. He has co-authored more than 80 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, including four book chapters, and has delivered over 60 invited lectures at international conferences and institutions.