The I-Site designation “Montpellier University of Excellence” has been confirmed by the Prime Minister
It’s official! The I-SITE Montpellier University of Excellence initiative has been extended. This is great news for the University of Montpellier and its 15 partners, confirming the relevance and quality of the work they have undertaken collectively since 2017. This extension comes with continued funding, which is essential to securing the university’s internationally recognized standing and addressing the major challenges of the future.
A little over four years after receiving the “Initiative Science Innovation Territoire Economie” (I-SITE*) designation, the MUSE project has proven its worth by demonstrating the power of collective mobilization across the region. Local governments, research organizations, healthcare institutions, partner schools, and businesses have all come together around the University of Montpellier.“This is a wonderful reward for the collective work undertaken by all the scientists, Professors, engineers, administrative staff, and students of the MUSE consortium,” said Philippe Augé, president of UM.
A whole new dynamic
“Together, we have demonstrated our ability to generate unprecedented momentum to create a major university that serves as a driving force for its region and has a strong international presence , ” the presidentcontinued . This has required a great deal of collective effort, but it ensures the University of Montpellier’s long-term visibility on both the national and international stages, built around a strong identity focused on three major global challenges: food security, environmental protection, and human health.
The news also prompted a response from the Region, as expressed by its president, Carole Delga, whodescribed the decisionas “proof of the dynamism and excellence of research in Montpellier and Occitanie. The work carried out within the MUSE framework is fundamental to the future of our planet and aligns with the Region’s strategic priorities. “We must collectively deliver on these issues—a promise for future generations and a driving force for our regions.”
Take the exams
A happy ending that brings to a close a four-year probationary period marked by various challenges: a mid-term evaluation in late 2019, an on-site visit in late 2021, and finally a hearing before an international jury, on January 19, of a delegation led by Philippe Augé and comprising Antoine Petit, CEO of the CNRS; Gilles Bloch, CEO of Inserm; Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin, CEO of CIRAD; and François Pierrot, Executive Director of I-SITE MUSE.
The consortium members presented to the international jury all the initiatives undertaken to build an internationally recognized university: the impact of research support programs, joint authorship of scientific publications, pedagogical innovations, collaborations with the socio-economic sector, international appeal, and structural changes resulting from the University of Marseille’s transition to an experimental public institution on January 1 of this year… With the results we now know.
Building an internationally recognized university
Ranked among the world leaders in environmental studies according to the Shanghai Ranking’s subject-specific rankings since 2018, UM has also risen from the top 400 to the top 200 in just two years in the Shanghai Ranking’s overall rankings and was recognized as the most innovative university in France according to the Reuters Global University Rankings published in October 2019. Montpellier’s hosting of the New Africa-France Summit in October 2020—represented at the University by the Montpellier Global Days—is a perfect example of this international visibility, which positions it as the European gateway to the Global South.
According to François Pierrot, executive director of I-SITE MUSE: “ This scientific appeal has indeed created a leverage effect for other projects, many of which have already been successful: the ExposUM project secured under the ExcellenceS Future Investment Program, the SFRI IDIL program promoting interdisciplinarity and the internationalization of education, as well as the University Innovation Cluster designation and the implementation of the Occitanie Region’s key challenges. ”
What now?
Making the I-SITE label permanent secures the government’s funding (550 million euros, or 16 million euros per year) and enables the continued development of the new experimental public institution, while maintaining its momentum by launching new support and transformation initiatives across all academic fields to continue building, together, the university of tomorrow.
* The IDEX/ISITE initiative, launched in 2010 as part of the Investments for the Future Program, aims to establish a limited number of research universities in France at locations with remarkable scientific potential that are capable of fostering synergy among universities, schools, research organizations, healthcare institutions, and businesses.