1.6 M to develop CHARM-EU

The European university alliance CHARM-EU received initial financial support from the Programme investissement d'avenir in 2019, enabling the University of Montpellier to make rapid progress towards its ambition of "reconciling man with the planet". Its success has led to renewed support from the European Commission beyond 2022, with funding of €12.8 million for four years, including over €1.7 million for the UM ("CHARM-EIGHT" project). On February 28, a further €1.6m was awarded by France 2030 to consolidate the alliance through the deployment of new objectives ("CHARM-ANR" project).

CHARM-EU at a glance

The CHARM-EU alliance establishes long-term cooperation between its nine members: the University of Barcelona (UB, coordinator), the University of Utrecht (UU), Eötvös Loránd Budapest (ELTE), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Åbo Akademi (AAU), Hochschule Ruhr West (HRW), the University of Würzburg (JMU), the University of Bergen (UiB) and the University of Montpellier. By promoting the creation of joint programs, student and staff exchanges, and the definition of shared research themes, it lays the foundations for an innovative model of European inter-university campus supporting the free movement of people, ideas and practices. CHARM-EU is helping to transform European higher education by proposing concrete actions for a sustainable, inclusive, innovative and intercultural university, capable of responding to global challenges that require an international and interdisciplinary approach.

A new France 2030 grant and new objectives for the "CHARM-ANR" project

In August 2022, the success of the CHARM-EU European University Alliance, of which the University of Montpellier is a member, led to the award of a €12.8 million grant for the "CHARM-EIGHT" project by the European Commission as part of the Erasmus+ 2022 call for European Universities. As part of this total budget, the UM was awarded over €1.7 million.

CHARM-EU wants to develop its strategy to consolidate the achievements of the pilot phase, and become a stable and sustainable European University over the long term. To achieve this, it is intended to extend its scope of action within the alliance's members, but also to open up more to the outside world (local, national, international). The objective of this funding is that, at the end of four years, CHARM-EU should have a significant impact on the entire international university community (students, lecturers and staff), with stable and strengthened governance, integrated and pooled services, and a rich and varied training offer accessible on an intercultural campus. This innovative model must be transferable and sustainable.

This new €1.6 million grant from France 2030 for the CHARM-ANR project is vital, as it will enable the project to be carried out in its entirety and increase CHARM-EU's visibility and attractiveness at local (European cities and regions) and international levels. More specifically, this funding will support the governance of the alliance at UM level through the recruitment of staff, strengthen the joint degree and promote it nationally by offering free registration fees for students who have studied in France, and ensure a real impact in all UM components and departments by supporting grassroots initiatives and giving them international scope. In concrete terms, this grant will enable the wider deployment of the innovative teaching methods initiated in CHARM-EU by installing connected hybrid classrooms, launch internal calls for projects such as internships co-supervised by researchers from other alliance universities, and initiate new teaching or research collaborations through interdisciplinary and international projects.