Committed students

Who says young people don't want to get involved any more? At the UM, more than 130 associations offer you the chance to discover the university in a supportive and collective light.

Jeunesse S'engage: from the streets of Montpellier to the emergency in the Mediterranean

In just over two years, the Jeunesse s'engage association has managed to unite no fewer than 80 members behind Thierry Escolar and his fellow student Olivier Saunier, the two at the helm of an association that is giving new substance to collective action. A student of history and political science, Thierry claims his approach is "apartisan and cross-cutting". He leads students, secondary school pupils and high school students in civic actions such as marauding through the streets of Montpellier, health prevention operations, hygiene product collections for destitute women...

In the summer of 2016, Thierry landed in Palermo with a ton of equipment for young migrants stranded on the Sicilian coast. On the spot, he and a few others set up a humanitarian action worthy of a professional NGO: sports activities, psychological support, training sessions... The young politician invites all those of good will to join him: " there comes a time when protesting is no longer enough. After philosophy comes action ".

Health tutoring for equal opportunities in PACES

Every year, the health studies tutoring service provides students in the First Common Year of Health Studies (PACES) with over 1,000 MCQs, course reminders, mock exams and invaluable methodological advice. Provided by students in higher education in medicine, pharmacy, odontology or maieutics, the health tutoring program brings together almost 250 tutors trained in the basics of teaching. Their role is to support PACES students during this decisive year, which culminates in a highly selective entrance examination.

And the results are clear: " a student who has benefited from tutoring sees his or her chances of passing the competitive examination multiplied by 6a figure equivalent to that of students who have taken a preparatory course ", boasts Mathieu Bauer, President of the FED, which brings together the various healthcare tutoring associations. Private prep schools offer support for several thousand euros, while tutoring is free. Funded by the university, this scheme mobilizes teachers every year to train tutors.

The UM Naturalist Group at the bedside of biodiversity

At GNUM, we make no distinction between the beginner, the passionate amateur or the professional researcher. It's a way of celebrating diversity that fits in well with this association, whose aim is precisely to promote an unsuspected (bio)diversity: that of our campuses. Thanks to the Inventaire fac' project, GNUM has brought to light hundreds of plant and animal species that abound at our feet or above our heads, contributing to a valuable monitoring of the state of local biodiversity. A fine example of "participatory science" that has been emulated in Marseille and Toulouse. GNUM is also involved in awareness-raising activities with schoolchildren in Celleneuve and Mosson, nature outings and the organization of events such as the 24h of Biodiversity in Triolet, with scientific animations, observations and school workshops... GNUM 's main aim is to raise awareness: " You always want to protect what you know ", says Thomas, who last year completed his civic service with this 170-member association. At the heart of GNUM 's philosophy is the mixing of levels and skills. The association invites everyone, UM or not, to get their hands dirty and their feet in the soil to help advance knowledge and protection of this discreet but vital biodiversity.

iTALKs: When the word gets out

Inspired by the famous TED talks, iTALKs were born in 2017 at the Maison des étudiants Richter. In April, around twenty of them took to the MDE stage, often for the first time.

The concept: for 5 minutes, each participant presents to the audience a subject close to his or her heart, with humor, gravity or emotion... While the form is light-hearted, the aim is very serious: to practice public speaking, which is a dreaded skill for many students. But it's essential if you want to present your work effectively. In addition to their educational value, the iTALKs are an opportunity for students from very different campuses and backgrounds to get to know each other. " The aim is also to enable everyone to share a passion or personal experience with an audience of strangers, in front of a panel of judges," explains Nicolas Heckmann, who initiated the project. On the menu for this first edition were themes as diverse as the experience of racism or growing up in Tahiti, the blue economy or the death of a loved one...
To prepare for their presentation, these iTalkers benefited from 8 training sessions given by a trainer from the Cours Florent and a coach from the doctoral school. Public speaking is not something you can improvise. " Daring to speak is real work," confirms Frauke Batbedat, director of the MDE.

iTalks are back in 2018, so stay tuned!