The University of Montpellier and the École nationale supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier have signed their first multi-year agreement on objectives and commitments
The University of Montpellier’s change in status to that of an experimental public institution made it possible to integrate the Montpellier National School of Chemistry (ENSCM) as a constituent institution of the university. The first major step was the signing of a multi-year contract setting out objectives and commitments.
Following its approval by the Board of Trustees of the University of Montpellier, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and Pascal Dumy, Director of ENSCM, signed their first multi-year contract outlining objectives and commitments, which formalizes their shared goals of convergence and resource pooling to support the implementation of the University of Montpellier’s ambitious strategy.
ENSCM is now a new component of the University of Montpellier, with a special status in that it retains its legal personality, its governing bodies, and its operational resources (staff, budgets, etc.). One of the key commitments to integration is the joint issuance of degrees. This integration, which reflects the mutual trust that has been firmly established in recent years between the school and the university, offers new opportunities in terms of education, research, and benefits for both staff and students, while contributing to the University of Montpellier’s strategy for development and outreach.
“The challenge—beyond what might appear to some as mere institutional procedure—is indeed significant and goes beyond a commitment made within the framework of our I-Site MUSE. The goal is to firmly establish UM and ENSCM within a shared strategy at the campus level, under a common banner, in order to secure the resources needed to support our ambitions: to ensure that UM ranks among the best national universities and to strengthen its appeal and proven reputation in international rankings,” says Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
The multi-year contract setting out objectives and commitments between the university and its constituent institution, as provided for in the EPE’s bylaws, is part of a shared ambition to address the dual challenge of regional integration and the excellence required for international visibility, while also ensuring a key role for the chemistry sector under the “University of Montpellier” in the fields of education, research, and innovation.
“This agreement serves as the score that sets our responsibilities and rights to music, enabling the conductor to carry out our shared strategy and bring our common goals and ambitions to fruition,” explains Pascal Dumy, Director of the ENSCM
Structured around three main areas—research and commercialization; education, student life, and social responsibility; and institutional life and administrative modernization—the agreement sets the following strategic objectives:
- enhance scientific potential;
- promote the "Université de Montpellier" brand internationally;
- offer an attractive, coherent, and enriched curriculum, including at the intersections with other disciplines;
- promote greater national and international visibility in the field of chemistry and its related disciplines;
- contribute to the development and promotion of engineering programs at the University of Montpellier;
- promote social responsibility among all users and staff.
About the University of Montpellier
With its 17 faculties, schools, and institutes, as well as its 72 research centers, the University of Montpellier brings together a vast community of knowledge spanning science, technology, physical education and sports, medicine, pharmacy, law, political science, economics, and business administration. With more than 50,000 students and 5,100 staff members, the University of Montpellier is now one of France’s largest universities.
UM is internationally recognized for the excellence of its education, research, and capacity for innovation across a wide range of scientific fields related to major societal challenges, foremost among which are food security, environmental protection, and human health… It holds a leading position in international rankings, placing on the global podium in ecology in the Shanghai Ranking’s subject-specific rankings, in the top 200 of the Shanghai Ranking’s overall rankings, and as the top French university among the most innovative universities in the Reuters Ranking.
As a socially responsible university, UM is particularly committed to issues of gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination, as well as environmental issues, scientific integrity, and the relationship between science and society.
About ENSCM
The National School of Chemistry of Montpellier is a top-tier public engineering school specializing in general chemical engineering, offering a three-year chemical engineering degree (equivalent to a two-year post-secondary program through to a master’s degree). This undergraduate program is open to students from various academic backgrounds through both traditional and work-study tracks. ENSCM has 360 engineering students (120 graduates per year).
It is a program of excellence that brings its students to the highest scientific level and equips them with a comprehensive set of sought-after complementary skills, such as a sense of innovation, teamwork, and collective intelligence.
It oversees the four joint research units (UMR) in chemistry, in collaboration with the University (UM), the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for one of them. Covering all disciplines of the chemical sciences, it is the leading French grande école recognized internationally in chemistry.
It is also ISO 9001 certified for all of its training, research, and commercialization activities. It is committed to a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative aimed at achieving sustainable development.