And the CHARM alliance becomes master...
It will be innovative, cross-disciplinary, and resolutely focused on major environmental and societal challenges. This master's program, unique in Europe, is the result of collaboration between UM and its four partners in the CHARM-EU alliance, and will be launched in the fall of 2021. A minor educational revolution presented by Gilles Subra and Patricia Cucchi from the University of Montpellier.
Imagine a master's program bringing together students from all over the world and from fields as diverse as law, biology, humanities and social sciences, sports, and management. Imagine that this master's program is co-run by several major European universities and that all these young minds pool their skills to tackle concrete issues such as world hunger and water management. A dream? No, but "a very ambitious, unique, and completely new project," says Gilles Subra, Professor Chemistry at the University of Montpellier and project manager within the CHARM-EU alliance.
Meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow
This master's degree, which will be launched in Montpellier at the start of the 2021 academic year, is not the result of a magic wand but rather the fruit of a long-term effort, begun over a year ago within the CHARM-EU alliance, which brings together Trinity College Dublin and the universities of Barcelona,Utrecht,Eotvos Lorand in Budapest, and of course Montpellier. Five major European institutions have chosen to join forces to tackle the environmental and social challenges facing our societies.
Three major themes, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, emerged from this initial phase of collective work: water management (SDG 6), global health encompassing human health (SDG 3) and environmental health (SDGs 14 and 15), and finally food (SDGs 2 and 12). "We don't want to compete with existing master's programs," says Gilles Subra. "We won't be training economists or hydrologists, but new cross-disciplinary profiles for European careers, cross-functional project managers."
Creating European profiles
A total of around 100 students will be recruited by the five universities, with around 20 at each site. They will benefit from innovative teaching based on active learning. "It can be summed up in two words: 'challenge-based'," Our goal is for students to acquire useful skills to meet the challenges related to the major themes proposed," explains Patricia Cucchi, professor and researcher in organism biology at the University of Montpellier and member of the working group on teaching and learning strategies within CHARM-EU.
Students will therefore be challenged to tackle issues arising from civil society, the business world, or research, always with scientific rigor and methodology as the cornerstone. "They can arrive with their own project or choose to develop one, individually or collectively, but always in close collaboration with laboratories, companies, or associations," adds Patricia Cucchi. The examination procedures will also be reviewed. There will be no traditional midterms, but rather "a progressive assessment centered on the student and adapted to their pace, using a range of methods from simple quizzes to portfolios."
While mobility will of course be the norm in this program, a digital work environment shared by the five universities will also be made available to students, and distance learning facilities will be developed. This will enable a student enrolled in Dublin to take courses taught in Montpellier or Barcelona. "This is a great opportunity for teachers and researchers to showcase their laboratories and their work to foreign students," emphasizes Gilles Subra. At the end of this program, which can be completed in 12 or 16 months, students—initially recruited after completing their first year of master's studies—will receive degrees from the five partner universities.
The Knowledge Creation Team
To prepare for the start of the 2021 academic year, it is now time to set up teams called KCTs , or "Knowledge Creation Teams." Around 50 teachers andProfessors Montpellier and 175 from the five universities in the alliance took part in an induction seminar on the future CHARM-EU master's program on June 15. "To develop the content for these cross-disciplinary courses, we need to put together international multidisciplinary knowledge creation teams made up of researchers and teacher-researchers," explains Gilles Subra.
These international KCTs will meet regularly and will be responsible for developing educational content in line with the three main themes selected, as well as proposing relevant speakers from the worlds of research, business, and civil society. Finally, supervising students during their final year projects will be a key focus. "This is the starting point for producing a truly different kind of education," continues the CHARM-EU representative. "But we are only at the beginning and the teams are set to evolve. Anyone who wishes to do so can join us along the way."
Tools have also been designed to support and advise teachers in choosing innovative teaching methods and using new technologies. Teaching methods must also be part of a responsible and sustainable approach. Environment, gender equality, multiculturalism, and accessibility "must not just be principles, but must be integrated and applied in all practices," emphasizes Patricia Cucchi.
A "synergy that benefits everyone"
Researchers are particularly sought after for this project, since beyond the master's degree, the CHARM-EU alliance aims to create strong links between universities but also between laboratories, as Gilles Subra points out: "The themes of the master's program are consistent with those of MUSE, and we hope that this will lead to new research projects and expand everyone's networks in this multidisciplinary approach." Start-ups and companies partnering with universities will also have an important role to play in this venture, as will associations and local authorities. "We want to create a synergy that benefits everyone," concludes Patricia Cucchi.