Audiocampus: when walls have ears
The Audiocampus space located in Building C of the Faculty of Pharmacy was inaugurated on Friday, October 11. This €2 million project was made possible by Operation Campus and will help meet the national need for hearing loss care by increasing the number of students enrolled in training programs in hearing aid technology and sensory neuroprosthetics.
25% of the French population and one in two people over the age of 65 suffer from hearing problems (deafness, tinnitus). With increased life expectancy and greater exposure to noise among younger generations, these figures are only set to rise. When destroyed, the sensory cells in the inner ear do not grow back, and hearing aids are the main recourse. To meet the national need for hearing loss care, it was decided to create an Audiocampus in Montpellier, with national and international visibility, with specially adapted premises.
The project became a reality on October 11 in the presence of Pierre André-Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie Region and Prefect of Haute-Garonne, Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Occitanie Academic Region, Rector of the Montpellier Academy, and Chancellor of Universities, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Jean-Luc Puel, Director of Audiocampus, and Vincent Lisowski, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, who inaugurated the Audiocampus space. This €2 million project, carried out on Building C of the Faculty of Pharmacy, was made possible thanks to Operation Campus.
Train more professionals
The main objective of the Audiocampus space is to increase the number of students in three training programs. Firstly, the state-certified hearing aid specialist diploma, which will see its intake increase from 30 to 50 students per year. The aim of this program is to train healthcare professionals who are able to assess hearing loss, recommend suitable devices, and adjust them to suit the patient's lifestyle.
The second program, the master's degree in "Sensory Neuroprosthetics," offered exclusively in Montpellier, will increase its enrollment from 30 to 60 students. It covers the fields of prosthetic adaptation for children, implantable prostheses, and functional exploration of hearing and language. Finally, the university diploma in "Hearing Aid Technology" will now accept 40 students instead of 20 in response to increased demand for professionals in this field. These technicians welcome patients, provide maintenance, and repair hearing aids.
In addition, Audiocampus is backed by a joint research laboratory (Inserm/University of Montpellier) that works in collaboration with manufacturers of cochlear implants and hearing aids, as well as with the ENT department of Montpellier University Hospital and the Saint Pierre Institute in Palavas, which specializes in pediatric rehabilitation.
Patient reception
In terms of real estate, this restructuring involved the ground floor of Building C on the Faculty of Pharmacy site, with the creation of three lecture halls for students studying for a diploma in hearing aid technology and a master's degree (which can be converted into an e-learning room), two computer rooms dedicated to practical work, and offices for teachers, researchers, and technicians. A 3D printer is now used to manufacture prostheses, and the fabrication room is dedicated to the manufacture of ear molds.
The Audiocampus facility also welcomes patients. It has seven audiometric booths for assessing hearing acuity, an "exercise laboratory" where patients can be fitted with hearing aids under the supervision of a healthcare professional, a waiting area for patients, and finally a "play" area where hearing science professionals can meet the public.
