IDIL: Training through and for research
Next September, eight new Master programs and one engineer program will be available at the University of Montpellier, as part of the IDIL graduate program. What defines them? Students immersed 6 months per year in lab’, courses in English and an introduction to interdisciplinarity. Mathieu Sicard and Agnès Fichard-Carroll are the two project leaders.
At the start of the next academic year, UM will launch eight new master’s programs and one engineering program, all taught exclusively in English. Why the decision to use English?
M.S: Quite clearly, these English-language programs will help expand UM’s international reach, particularly among students capable of studying in English. We expect up to 30% of the student body to be international students; the rest will be French students, provided they demonstrate a certain level of English proficiency.
A.F-C: Incoming foreign mobility will be fostered by accompaniment of international students: French courses (FLE) and financial help for travels.
This project is part of the Structuring Education through Research (SFRI) program. Was this a call for proposals that UM won in July 2020?
M.S.: Exactly, the project was initially drafted and led by Agnès Mignot; it was then called UMGS ( University of Montpellier Graduate School ) and had secured a budget of 12 million euros. Agnès Fichard-Carroll and I took over leadership of this “graduate program”last May under the name IDIL ( InterDisciplinary In Lab).
Master’s programs bearing the IDIL label are described as pedagogically innovative. What new opportunities do they offer students?
M.S: IDIL promotes learning through and for research. Starting in the first year of the master’s program, students will be offered a six-month paid internship in a laboratory. The second key feature is the program’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity and the unprecedented role given to mentoring.
A.F-C: Internship gratification being guaranteed, I hope it will allow students in financial difficulty to be less hesitant to register for a master program.
Who will these mentors be, and what will their role be?
M.S: The mentors will be researchers or Professors role will be to supervise and support students throughout their lab internship—but not only that. Each mentor commits to introducing students to other researchers, guiding them in their reading, helping them choose courses, and recommending conferences they can attend…
Can all researchers serve as mentors?
M.S: Yes, all researchers affiliated with units participating in the Muse program. Their field of study must align with one of the nine tracks offered. Mentors will be recognized for their commitment to training IDIL students.
Students will spend six months in the lab and the rest of the year in the classroom. How will this academic component be structured?
M.S: You can’t spend six months in a lab and still take as many course units as the others. Students will choose their corecourses, which we call“core units”in the catalog. Here again, the mentor will play a key role in guiding the student toward the courses best suited to their laboratory work.
Will they take the same courses as students enrolled in traditional master’s programs?
M.S: Yes, these master’s programs will be integrated into existing degree tracks, which means that the relevant courses will need to be taught in English or at least in a bilingual format.
A.F-C: Schedules can be really puzzling. It is not about disturbing the existing, but about sharing it with IDIL students. If the professor in charge do not want or cannot assure the conversion of his course in English, he will be accompanied in the translation, funding has been planned to this purpose.
In which disciplines are these master’s tracks offered?
M.S: There are eight: ecology, health biology, agricultural sciences, chemistry, political science, management, modeling, and geology-hydrology. These are just the first ones. The program is scheduled to last eight years and allows us to offer up to 30 tracks. The engineering track operates under the same laboratory immersion model but is intended for students enrolled at the School of Chemistry, the Institut-Agro, and Polytech. It is, in fact, already foreshadowed in the Research, which launched in 2021.
A.F-C: It is worth mentioning that IDIL programs gathers pre-existing master tracks from different departments of the university of Montpellier. IDIL project will also stimulate exchanges between those departments.
You mention“introductorycourses” in interdisciplinary studies—in what way are these programs interdisciplinary?
M.S: These are not interdisciplinary master’s programs; students graduate with a degree in their specific field of study. However, in addition to their“core courses,” they can choose“introductorycourses” that offer an introduction to disciplines from other programs. A student in hydrology and geology could, for example, take an introductory course in political science or management.
What is the ideal student for this master’s program?
M.S: It’s not necessarily the top academic performer, if that’s what you’re asking. We don’t want to make this an elitist program. The ideal student is independent, mature, has a genuine interest in research and interdisciplinarity, and wants to experiment with new teaching methods. They speak English, but I’ll say it again: this program is open to both French and international students.
A.F-C: IDIL’s students must also appreciate teamwork. They do have, even if accompanied, to be real actors of their training.
Are you ready for the 2022 academic year?
We’re still working out some of the details of the IDIL training program, but yes, we’ll be ready. We’ll be recruiting mentors, and we’re inviting all researchers and Professors in the mentoring experience to join us. Students will be able to apply starting in March or April.
Researcher, are you interested in mentorship? Make contact with the person in charge of the master corresponding to your disciplinary field. You can also contact Clémence Breuil, in administrative head of the IDIL project or co-leaders Professor Mathieu Sicard and Professor Agnès Fichard-Caroll.
Graduate school?
In the Anglo-Saxon model, graduate school corresponds to the master’s and doctoral levels. In line with this structure, the IDIL project is also aimed at doctoral students and, starting in 2023, will offer funding for 12 doctoral contracts that are also focused on interdisciplinarity.
Are you a student or researcher interested in the IDIL graduate program? Visit our website for more information.