Charm-EU: a summer school to raise the profile of European research
From June 23 to 27, 2025, the University of Montpellier hosted the inaugural Summer University of doctoral researchers Charm-EU. The aim was to help them develop a trans-disciplinary practice that would enable them to tackle complex challenges in their future research projects. The program included a week of stimulating group workshops for participants from all over Europe, and an inspiring international conference on transdisciplinarity in research.
On June 23, 26 doctoral researchers arrived from all over Europe to take part in the first Charm-EU Summer University dedicated to them. Coming from the nine prestigious institutions that make up the alliance of European universities, including the UM, they brought with them very different curricula. Psychology, education, ecology, art, health, sociology, IT... And yet they had chosen to share this week of collective workshops with other students from fields of study sometimes far removed from their own. There was nothing quite like this to get them interested and to put their knowledge and projects into practice during workshops whose pedagogical content had been meticulously prepared by the KCTs (Knowledge Creation Teams) of the Charm-EU alliance, multidisciplinary "knowledge creation" teams made up of teachers,Professors and pedagogical engineers.
The theme chosen for this unique summer school was "Developing Transdisciplinary Practice to tackle complex challenges ". Participants had a week to work together on developing a transdisciplinary research project, under the guidance of experienced researchers. Because acquiring a transdisciplinary approach is a key skill for tomorrow's young researchers. Knowing how to contextualize a research project and detail the concrete impact of the expected results is essential right from the design stage. And yet, many calls for proposals encourage a collaborative approach integrating several disciplines, as well as the presence of international partners.
An unprecedented international conference
June 24 was a particularly intense day, as it was dedicated to the first major Charm-EU conference organized by the alliance, featuring renowned researchers, 9 experts, 9 European universities, 9 research themes... This conference "Connecting knowledge, shaping futures: transdisciplinarity in research" presented a non-exhaustive and inspiring panorama of projects within the universities of the European alliance. The international guest speakers were leading researchers who have put transdisciplinarity at the heart of their work. What they have in common is excellence in research and a deep commitment to contributing to a more sustainable society. Their fields of expertise are vast: philosophy, law, physics, hydrogeology, epidemiology, medicine...
Mircea Sofonea, a lecturer in epidemiology and the evolution of infectious diseases at the UM, who is taking part in this year's Charm-EU international course, addressed the issue of "Interdisciplinarity in health crisis management - lessons from research carried out in Montpellier on pandemic surveillance and control" in his presentation. His presentation focused on health crisis management, addressing the gaps between disciplines and health professionals, with a clear impact on decision-making. He also spoke on behalf of theInstitut ExposUM, for which he is research manager in charge of accelerating interdisciplinary projects on environmental health carried out by the University of Montpellier and its partners. Giving the floor to these experts was an opportunity to show that transdisciplinarity can get research moving. A formidable source of inspiration for tomorrow's research.
A new generation of European research
Following these inspiring exchanges, the doctoral researchers worked hard on research project proposals in small groups. But they didn't forget to take some well-deserved breaks to discover the city thanks to an original digital walk using a geolocated app, or to learn about French gastronomy in a fun and collective way.
On the final day, however, the doctoral researchers presented their work for the week to a jury of KCT members with the utmost seriousness. It was a final challenge which they overcame with brio, determination and creativity, on subjects related to contemporary themes: international collaboration, food, global health, research systems, urbanization processes, AI...
The members of the jury noted a remarkable quality of work, a desire to learn and work together, whatever the discipline, and a strong desire to get involved in projects enabling them to have a significant impact on the world we live in. Although the week's challenge was won by the team working on climate change, everyone came out on top. Proof, if proof were needed, that the next generation of European researchers is ready to face the challenges ahead with confidence and innovation.
Future joint projects
All of which goes to show that this year's event in Montpellier was a great success. In the words of Gilles Subra, head of Charm-EU at the UM, this unprecedented international event "laid the foundations for future joint research projects within the alliance ", particularly for the new generations of researchers. The next edition is already in preparation for 2026, and will take place in Finland at the Åbo Akademi University. Together, let's make way for the new generation of European researchers!
Watch the conference :
Charm-EU: an alliance at the crossroads of disciplines
Opening the conference, UM President Philippe Augé praised the crucial importance of transdisciplinarity in all higher education establishments. But also at the very heart of the "Global Challenges for Sustainable Development" international diploma , an innovative joint course with the nine partner institutions of the Charm-EU alliance of European universities, based on the resolution of challenges in the field in line with society's issues, whose students are recruited without any disciplinary criteria. The President also pointed out that, as a university, "we live and breathe our two pillars of education and research ". A number of projects have already been launched within the alliance to combine research and transdisciplinarity, including a shared research module at the end of 2024 involving the University of Montpellier and the University of Utrecht, drawing on the expertise of the many specialists on the I-site(SIRIC Montpellier cancer, Institut du Cancer de Montpellier, Institut de recherche en cancérologie de Montpellier, Institut des biomolécules Max Mousseron) and in direct contact with patients. Find out more about this shared module, the second edition of which starts in September 2025, involving a collaboration that extends to the University of Barcelona, theImmun4cure IHU and the Evocan-2 FHU to address the challenges of immunotherapy in cancer treatment.