The University of Montpellier and the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier sign their first multi-year contract of objectives and commitments.

The change in the status of the University of Montpellier, which has become an experimental public institution, has enabled the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM) to be integrated as a component institution of the university. The first major step was the signing of a multi-year contract of objectives and commitments.

The day after it was approved by the Montpellier University Board of Governors, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and Pascal Dumy, Director of ENSCM, signed their first multi-year contract of objectives and commitment, which formalizes the mutual objectives of convergence and mutualization to deploy the ambitious strategy of the University of Montpellier.

The ENSCM is now a new component of the University of Montpellier, with a special status since it retains its legal personality, its deliberative bodies and its means of action (staff, budgets, etc.). One of the strong commitments to integration is the co-signature of diplomas. This integration, which testifies to the mutual trust that has been built up over the last few years between the school and the university, opens up new opportunities for training, research, staff and students alike, while contributing to the UM's development and outreach strategy.

"The stakes, behind what may appear to some as institutional mechanics, are indeed high, and are not limited to a commitment made within the framework of our MUSE I-Site. It's a question of establishing the UM and ENSCM in a shared strategy, at site level, and behind a common banner, in order to obtain the means to support our ambitions: to make the UM one of the best national universities, and to consolidate its attractiveness and reputation in international rankings" , says Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.

The multi-annual contract of objectives and commitments between the university and its component institution, provided for in the EPE's articles of association, is in fact part of a shared ambition to meet the dual challenge of territorial anchoring and the excellence required for international visibility, while also ensuring a key position for the chemistry sector under the "Université de Montpellier" brand in the fields of training, research and innovation.

"This contract is the musical score that sets our duties and rights to music, and enables the conductor to implement a shared strategy to achieve our common goals and ambitions," explains Pascal Dumy, Director of ENSCM.

Structured around 3 main areas: research and development; training, student life and social responsibility; institutional life and administrative modernization, the contract's strategic objectives are to :

  • increasing scientific potential ;
  • promote the "Université de Montpellier" brand internationally;
  • offer an attractive, coherent and enriched range of training courses, including at the interfaces with other disciplines;
  • promote greater national and international visibility in the field of chemistry and its interfaces;
  • contribute to the development and promotion of engineering training at the University of Montpellier;
  • promote social responsibility for all users and staff.

About the University of Montpellier

With its 17 faculties, schools and institutes and 72 research structures, the University of Montpellier brings together a vast community of knowledge: science, technology, physical and sports activities, medicine, pharmacy, law, political science, economics and management. With over 50,000 students and 5,100 staff, the University of Montpellier is one of France's leading universities.

The UM enjoys international recognition for the excellence of its training, research and capacity for innovation in a wide range of scientific fields linked to the major challenges facing society, foremost among which are food safety, environmental protection and human health.... It occupies a leading position in international rankings, being on the world podium in ecology in the Shanghai thematic ranking, in the top 200 of the general Shanghai ranking, and as France's 1st most innovative university in the Reuters ranking.

As a responsible university, UM is particularly committed to gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination, environmental issues, scientific integrity and science-society relations.

About ENSCM

The Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier is a state-run, high-level, generalist chemical engineering school offering a 3-year chemical engineering diploma (Bac+2 to Bac+5). This initial training is accessible to students from a variety of backgrounds, both through the traditional route and through work-study programs. The ENSCM has 360 engineering students (120 graduates per year).
It's a training program of excellence that takes its students to the highest scientific level and equips them with a full range of complementary skills, such as innovation, team spirit and collective intelligence.

It oversees the 4 chemistry UMRs alongside the UM, the CNRS and the CEA for one of them. Covering all chemical science disciplines, it is France's first internationally-recognized "grande école" in chemistry.

It is also ISO 9001 certified for all its training, research and development activities. It is committed to an approach of Corporate Social Responsibility aimed at achieving sustainable development.