Carole Delga and Philippe Augé meet with social sciences students at the University of Montpellier
On Monday, May 22, 2023, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier; Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Campus Life; and Amel Qobaa, Student Vice President, welcomed Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée and President of Régions de France, at the Aimé Shoenig Student Center. Following a tour of the university library at the Richter campus, a roundtable discussion on issues related to education and student life was held between President Carole Delga and social sciences students from the University of Montpellier (law, economics, and management).
“This meeting is an opportunity to discuss, exchange ideas, and engage with all UM students on a wide range of topics, including education, research, and student life. It is important to participate in this roundtable to better understand their expectations and ensure their well-being,” said Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
“Listening to the concerns and aspirations of our young people and finding concrete solutions is what drives my political work. The choices we make regarding education, training, and future careers are issues that concern us all. That is why I wanted to come to Montpellier yesterday to meet with students from the University of Montpellier, who gathered in large numbers for an open and constructive dialogue. Alongside UM President Philippe Augé, I assured them of the Region’s support, which is committed to democratizing access to quality higher education, no matter where they live or what their background is; this includes investments in buildings, decentralized campuses, student housing, and more. Just as we did during the COVID crisis—for example, by providing laptops and 4G dongles to combat the digital divide—the Region is particularly committed to meeting their needs, whether regarding transportation, educational resources, food, or mental health. “Following this same format, I will soon be meeting with other student communities in Occitanie to continue these discussions,” said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-MéditerranéeRegion.
Commitment, mobility, and training
This roundtable discussion provided an opportunity for Philippe Augé and Carole Delga to engage with social science students at the University of Montpellier and answer their questions about education, student life, regional policy in Occitanie, regional connectivity, mobility, career guidance, employment, student engagement, and environmental issues.
Key themes centered on student life, in which many students seek to become actively involved. The University of Montpellier supports this through tutoring programs and the promotion of student organizations. Mobility was also the subject of many questions; however, the University of Montpellier and the Region are working to facilitate access to education through various modes of transportation (cars, buses, bicycles, and trains).
Education was, of course, the focus of many discussions. While the diversity and range of educational opportunities in Occitanie are already substantial, Carole Delga and Philippe Augé wish to continue contributing to the development of a comprehensive educational network across the region.
Student Financial Instability and Environmental Issues
The issue of student financial insecurity was addressed, as the University of Montpellier, with financial support from the Region, is implementing solutions. Agnès Fichard-Carroll highlighted the initiatives undertaken by the University of Montpellier, including the Solidarity and Student Initiative Development Fund (FSDIE). Funded by the CVEC, this fund helps finance student projects in various fields (culture, humanitarian aid, sports, solidarity, the environment, civic engagement, etc.) and, in collaboration with CROUS social workers, supports students facing significant hardship or financial insecurity. The fight against period poverty was also discussed, as was the master plan for student life, which includes 73 concrete actions to combat student poverty.
Environmental issues, particularly those related to water resources and the energy transition, were at the center of the discussion. The University of Marseille (UM), ranked among the world’s top institutions in environmental studies according to the Shanghai Ranking, is deeply committed to environmental issues. As a reminder, it is working to build or renovate many of its facilities to best comply with energy transition regulations (renovation of the STAPS building), and has been named the “water capital” following all the initiatives it has implemented over the past several years (creation of the UNESCO-ICIREWARD center, the creation of Hydropolis, hosting the Water4Future event, hosting AISH delegations, and organizing the annual Water Week, among others).
The Occitanie Region is committed to improving the living conditions and academic success of its students
As a leader in higher education, the Occitanie Region is fully committed to providing high-quality educational opportunities throughout the region and meeting the aspirations of its 270,000 students.
At the end of the year, the Region adopted a new regional strategy to make higher education and research a key driver of Occitanie’s development and competitiveness. To enable all young people to choose and succeed in their studies, the Region supports higher education across all areas, both in metropolitan areas and in the 18 University Cities of Balance in Occitanie.
In total , since 2016, the Region has allocated more than €150 million to the University of Montpellier and its students , enabling it to fund, for example:
- the new University of Medicine (opened in 2017), almost in its entirety (€45.5 million);
- the renovation of university housing and the construction of new housing, in partnership with the CROUS (since 2016: renovation of 3,095 university housing units and construction of 1,849 new housing units);
- the expansion of psychological support services offered by the University of Marseille through the University Health Center (€170,000 since 2020) and the funding of a Student Health Insurance Pass for students receiving financial aid (€100 per year);
- the expansion of transportation options, including the “+=0” program for 18- to 26-year-olds, which offers free travel on liO trains starting with the 11th trip and will be expanded next fall to include regular bus routes within the liO regional transit network (40,000 young beneficiaries and over 500,000 tickets sold in 2022);
- The Youth Ecological Income program, which provides support for educational pathways (with nearly 190 existing training programs) or for business start-up or takeover projects, and guarantees an income of up to €1,000 per month. Launched in 2022, it already has more than 500 beneficiaries.