UM and ENSCM join forces for a shared strategy and common ambitions
The change in status of the University of Montpellier, which became an experimental public institution, enabled the National School of Chemistry of Montpellier (ENSCM) to be integrated as a component institution of the University. The first significant step was the signing of a multi-year contract setting out objectives and commitments.
Following approval by the University of Montpellier Board of Directors, Philippe Augé, President of UM, and Pascal Dumy, Director of ENSCM, signed their first multi-year contract setting out objectives and commitments, formalizing their mutual goals of convergence and pooling resources to support the rollout of the University of Montpellier's ambitious strategy.
"The challenge behind what may appear to some as institutional mechanics is significant and is not limited to a commitment made within the framework of our I-Site MUSE," says Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier.
The institutional mechanism in question is none other than the integration of ENSCM, now enshrined in the statutes as a component institution of UM. It therefore has a special status, since it retains its legal personality, its deliberative bodies, and its means of action (staff, budgets, etc.). One of the key commitments is, for example, the co-signing of diplomas.
Mutual and lasting trust
This integration, which reflects the mutual and lasting trust established in recent years between the school and the University, offers new opportunities for training, research, staff, and students, while contributing to the UM's development and outreach strategy. "The aim is to establish a long-term shared strategy for UM and ENSCM, at the site level and under a common banner, in order to obtain the resources needed to support our ambitions: to make UM one of the best national universities and to consolidate its attractiveness and proven reputation in international rankings," adds the president.
The multi-year contract of objectives and commitments between the University and its component institution, as provided for in the EPE's statutes, is part of a shared ambition to meet a twofold challenge: regional anchoring and excellence. These two criteria are required for international visibility, but they also ensure a prominent place for the chemistry sector under the "University of Montpellier" brand in the fields of training, research, and innovation, as emphasized by Pascal Dumy, Director of ENSCM:
"This contract is the score that sets our duties and rights to music, allowing the conductor to carry out the shared strategy in order to achieve our common goals and ambitions."
Strong and ambitious strategic objectives
This agreement focuses on three main areas: "research and promotion"; "education, student life, and social responsibility"; and "institutional life and administrative modernization." Its strategic objectives are to increase the scientific potential of both partners, promote the joint "Université de Montpellier" brand internationally, and enhance national and international visibility in the field of chemistry and its interfaces. In terms of training, this agreement offers an attractive, coherent, and enriched program, including interfaces with other disciplines. It also contributes to the development and promotion of engineering programs at the University of Montpellier. Finally, it promotes social responsibility for all users and staff.