“To be at the heart of the European Higher Education and Research Area”
As part of its efforts to promote its international reach, the University of Montpellier is participating in the 34th edition of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) fair, which will take place in Toulouse from September 17 to 20, 2024. This is a must-attend event, considered Europe’s premier annual gathering for international exchange in higher education. On this occasion, François Pierrot, Vice President for International Relations, speaks with us aboutUM international strategy.
What are the key priorities ofUM international strategyUM
As a public experimental institution with I-Site status, the University of Montpellier serves as a “hub” for its partner institutions. For international activities, as well as other academic activities, the strategy is thus developed through consultation within the consortium.
During the pilot phase of the Muse project (2017–2022), we chose to build strong visibility in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia in order to establish our reputation as a scientific portal for countries of the Global South. This approach was consistent with two key factors that illustrate this openness toward the Global South: a strong appeal to students from these regions and a very high rate of co-publications with scientists, a result of the specific missions assigned to some of our partners, such as CIRAD andIRD.
Are partnerships within Europe also on the rise?
Since 2022, in light of ongoing developments in both Africa and Eastern Europe, cooperation within what might be called the “global West” appears set to take on renewed strategic importance: Europe, of course, but also North America, Japan, Australia… This is by no means a matter of neglecting the Global South, as Montpellier will remain one of the French cities most focused on the African continent, but rather of adding another area of interest.
How do these guidelines affect the University’s various missions?
International engagement already permeates various aspects of university life. Research has long been a field where international collaboration is the norm, as evidenced by co-publications with foreign authors. Student mobility is thriving: approximately 15% ofUM students are internationalUM there are more than 1,000 supervised outbound mobility placements each year.
Where are these students from?
These exchanges are characterized by their asymmetry, with incoming flows originating primarily (two-thirds) from the Global South and outgoing flows directed mainly toward the West (90%). The doctoral program benefits greatly from international contributions, with international students accounting for more than 40% of doctoral researchers. It is also worth noting that courses are taught in English. A prime example of this is the innovative IDIL Master’s programmodel: taught in English, interdisciplinary, and attracting a very high percentage of international students.
Does the international dimension require us to think differently about the future?
In the future, we will undoubtedly need to move toward a fully internationalized university—that is, an institution where not only teaching and research take place in an international context, but where all the administrative units that support these activities are also imbued with interculturality, open to foreign languages, and so on. Thus, as part of the 2023–2025 Contract on Objectives, Resources, and Performance (COMP), training programs have been launched to assist female faculty members and Professors wish to teach in English, and mobility opportunities abroad for all staff members have been widely expanded.
What role does theCharm-EU alliance ofEuropean universities play in this strategy?
This exceptional partnership not only allows us to be at the heart of the European Higher Education and Research Area, but also to establish a true “laboratory for innovative practices” where we can test, on a real-world scale—together with students and Professors faculty members and Professors —what the internationalized university of tomorrow might look like.
What are some ofUM other major partnershipsUM
The University of Montpellier, in agreement with its partners in the I-Site consortium, has established a series of strategic partnerships by identifying, within a given country, the institutions with which it already had a proven track record of scientific exchanges—notably through co-publications—and with which it seemed reasonable to consider student exchanges, sometimes one-way and sometimes two-way. Some of these university partnerships have long-standing ties (Sherbrooke in Canada, UCAD in Senegal, Kasetsart in Thailand, Heidelberg in Germany, etc.), while others are just emerging (Arizona in the U.S., São Paulo in Brazil, etc.).
The internationalization of education seems more necessary than ever in the context of advanced globalization. What are the challenges involved?
Welcoming international students is essential not only for their own benefit, of course, but also to create a rich and stimulating intercultural atmosphere for all students, regardless of where they come from—including those from Montpellier. Teaching in a foreign language—primarily English—also serves this dual purpose: to make our programs more accessible to non-French-speaking students and to broaden the skill sets of French-speaking students. It is essential to prioritize the integration of international perspectives into various academic programs and the use of course materials from diverse sources. Not to mention study abroad programs, which the Office of International Relations and the international relations offices of all university units are actively developing thanks to funding provided by the Region, the State, and the European Union…
Some Key International Statistics atUM
- more than 7,000 international students, for a total of more than 51,000 students;
- 40% of doctoral researchers international students (from more than 100 countries);
- joint publications with more than 160 countries;
- in the top 200 of the Shanghai Ranking.