Charming Week 2026: A Connected European Week
From May 18 to 21, 2026, the University of Montpellier hosted members from the nine partner universities of the European university alliance Charm-EU for four days of work, experience-sharing, and educational innovation. With collaborative workshops, sessions focused on teaching in English and generative AI, and the inauguration of a new space at the Richter University Library, Charming Week showcased a European alliance in action.
“The University of Montpellier is reaffirming its status as a European campus more than ever by hosting, this week, members of the nine universities in the European Charm-EU alliance,” said Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier. Bringing together nearly 150 participants united by a common goal—“to inspire minds and build the future”—this European week has strengthened ties among the alliance’s communities and opened up new avenues for cooperation.
Accustomed to collaborating remotely, the Charm-eight project’s working groups took advantage of Charming Week to meet in Montpellier and make progress on concrete projects related to mobility, digital tools, communication, and governance. These discussions were designed to streamline student pathways, connect digital environments, foster long-term community engagement, and enhance the shared experience of students and staff. Beyond the work carried out, the in-person meeting also helped break down barriers between the working groups, realign each initiative with a common goal, and strengthen the interpersonal relationships essential to the alliance’s long-term sustainability.
Internationalizing Curricula
This forward-looking collective momentum was also exemplified by two events held almost simultaneously in Montpellier—one on teaching in English, the other on the use of generative AI in teacher training. Hosted by the IUT Montpellier-Sète, the event dedicated to English as a medium of instruction (EMI) provided an opportunity to compare the practices of the alliance’s universities with those of Copenhagen and Groningen in the Netherlands, as well as the Institut Agro Montpellier.
The discussions were based on the first mapping of EMI practices within the alliance, presented by the University of Montpellier, which has been developing a structured program since 2024 that combines intensive training with personalized pedagogical coaching. “ Many teachers are afraid to step outside their comfort zone and expose themselves to the judgment of students who may sometimes have a better command of English than they do. Beyond helping to demystify teaching in English, this opens up a whole new world of international opportunities for participants,”explains Philippe Gerbier, director of the Montpellier-Sète University Institute of Technology (IUT). In the medium term, this meeting could help build a community of practice in English-medium instruction (EMI), collaboratively develop shared tools, and lay the groundwork for a shared framework for the internationalization of education.
Sharing Training Challenges
A different topic, a different location: yet the same commitment to fostering new ways of teaching, learning, and collaborating in Europe. At the Faculty of Education (FDE) at the University of Montpellier, an event focused on the use of generative AI in teacher education brought together trainers from several European countries for nearly three days.
Throughout the presentations, hands-on workshops, and collaborative sessions, participants addressed several key issues: regulations, lesson planning, student support, learning activities, and assessment.“The uses of AI—or AI literacy—are a central concern within international education faculties. We were therefore able to exchange perspectives and jointly develop strategic approaches to address future training challenges. Organizing a Charm-EU event through the FDE is also one of our strategic priorities: it allows us to take our place within the alliance and share our training challenges in education and the social sciences,” explains Agnès Perrin Doucey, dean of the Faculty of Education in Montpellier.
Opening of a New Connected Space
The final highlight of Charming Week 2026: the inauguration of the new Charm-EU space at the University of Montpellier, attended by European partners. Located on the top floor of the Richter University Library, this space features offices, meeting rooms, and teaching areas connected to all of the alliance’s campuses. These fully equipped hybrid rooms reflect an educational approach focused on internationalization, inclusivity, and learning through real-world challenges, as seen in the joint master’s program “Global Challenges for Sustainability.”“What makes this space unique is that we designed the room and the teaching approach at the same time: teaching on a European scale that is connected, multi-campus, flexible, and student-centered. It is intended for use by all faculty members who need connected spaces to support their innovative teaching,”emphasizes Gilles Subra, Charm-EU project manager atUM.
This unifying event highlighted Charm-EU’s role in fostering interinstitutional cooperation, the sharing of expertise, and the exchange of ideas.“The Charming Week held in Montpellier reminded us of the very essence of Charm-EU: a shared space where innovative ideas are translated into concrete actions. The collaborative energy observed throughout the week attests to the essential role of international cooperation as a catalyst for a truly interconnected and transformative European Higher Education Area,” summarized Meritxell Chaves, the alliance’s secretary general. A conclusion that perfectly captures the spirit of this week in Montpellier: European, collaborative, and resolutely forward-looking.