Inauguration of the Audiocampus space at the University of Montpellier

The Audiocampus space in building C of the Faculty of Pharmacy was inaugurated on Friday, October 11. The €2 million project was made possible by the Opération campus program. The new facility will help to meet the national need for treatment of hearing loss, by increasing the number of students enrolled in training courses in audioprosthesis techniques and sensory neuroprostheses.  

The Montpellier School of Audioprosthetics was founded by Professor Christian Gelis, on the site of the Faculty of Pharmacy. In 1981, Professors Rémy Pujol and Alain Uziel created an Inserm research unit dedicated to hearing. In 2001, Professor Jean-Luc Puel took over as head of the School of Audioprosthetics. In 2004, he took over the Inserm unit and joined the Montpellier Neuroscience Institute (INM), which he would direct for 10 years (from 2011 to 2021).

The challenges of the operation

25% of the French population and one in two over-65s suffer from hearing problems (deafness, tinnitus). With increasing life expectancy and greater exposure of younger generations to noise, these figures are set to rise. When they are destroyed, the auditory sensory cells of the inner ear do not grow back, and hearing aids are the main recourse. In response to the national need to treat hearing loss, we have decided to set up an Audiocampus center in Montpellier, with national and international visibility and specially adapted premises.

The most disadvantaged populations, because of their geographical distance, state of health or income, are not left out of this project. A telemedicine service, including remote diagnosis and adjustment of hearing aids, has been set up to guarantee accessibility for all.

Short-term progress in the field of deafness rehabilitation will result from improvements in hearing aids. Today, virtually all hearing aids are digital and connected. We are working closely with manufacturers and distributors to improve signal processing and ensure greater listening comfort.

To achieve this, it was necessary to fit out 620m2of space in a building on the pharmacy campus. The real estate project cost €2 million, financed by €1.655 million in interim interest from Opération Campus and €0.350 million from the University of Montpellier's own resources.

An operation with a very specific objective 

The main aim of this Audiocampus space is to increase the number of students in three courses:

  • The state diploma in audioprosthetics (from 30 to 50 students per year) is designed to train healthcare professionals capable of assessing hearing loss, proposing suitable devices (BTE or ITE) and adjusting them to the patient's lifestyle;
  • the "Sensory Neuroprostheses" master's degree (from 30 to 60 students), covering prosthetic adaptation in children, implantable prostheses, and functional exploration of hearing and language (Montpellier is the only company in France to offer such a degree). This kind of expertise requires a body of specialists at Bac+3 level. In fact, 10% of them go on to doctorates and join academic or private research;
  • The "Techniques en audioprothèse" diploma (20 to 40 students) meets a growing demand in the profession. Technicians welcome patients, maintain and repair hearing aids. In this age of digital technology, connected prostheses and telemedicine, they provide invaluable assistance to patients, helping them to connect their hearing aids to telephone, TV or other devices.

In addition, Audiocampus is backed by a joint research laboratory (Inserm/University of Montpellier) which works in collaboration with manufacturers of cochlear implants and hearing aids, as well as with the ENT department of Montpellier University Hospital and the Institut Saint Pierre in Palavas, dedicated to pediatric rehabilitation.

The program for this operation 

This restructuring involved the first floor of Building C on the Faculty of Pharmacy site with the creation of :

  • 3 lecture rooms for DE audioprothésiste and Master's students (can be converted into an e-learning room);
  • 2 computer rooms dedicated to practical work, audioprosthetic measurement chains dedicated to taking impressions of the auditory canal and the installation of a 3D printer to manufacture prostheses, electronic and computer activities;
  • 1 shaping room for the manufacture of earmolds (with treatment and control of dust and noise levels);
  • 7 audiometric booths to assess hearing acuity ;
  • offices for teachers, researchers and technicians;
  • a "practice laboratory" profession, enabling patients to be fitted under the responsibility of a healthcare professional;
  • reception areas, a waiting area for visitors, and a "fun" area (where hearing science meets the public).

The inauguration took place in the presence of Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Montpellier Academy and Chancellor of the Universities, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier and Jean-Luc Puel, Director of Audiocampus, Lionel Collet, President of the French National Authority for Health (HAS), Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and Vincent Lisowski, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy.