UM Profiles

Joan Guàrdia i Olmo, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Montpellier, is a professor of behavioral science methodology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Barcelona (UB). Since 2020, he has also served as the university’s rector. He is committed to promoting a Europe of education and research based on shared values.

As the lead researcher on a long-term study of chickadees, Anne Charmantier is interested in how these passerines are adapting to climate change and the urban environment. A research director in evolutionary ecology at CEFE, she is the 2024 CNRS Silver Medalist.

An advocate for green and responsible chemistry, Professor Philippe Dubois is an internationally renowned researcher in chemistry and materials science, particularly for his cutting-edge research on bioplastics. These innovative processes have led to numerous patented industrial applications, highlighting the essential role of chemistry in the ecological transition. As President and Rector of the University of Mons (UMons), located in French-speaking Belgium, he places equal importance on his institution’s international reputation and the well-being of its students, faculty, and researchers. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier on January 31, 2024.

While spending ten months in Montpellier as part of the Mak’It program, anthropologist Tania Li of the University of Toronto is fostering dialogue between her research on social and environmental justice in Indonesia and that of her French colleagues at the SENS laboratory in West Africa, Mexico, and Myanmar.

Cécile Echalier’s research goal is to develop new biomaterials that will have highly anticipated applications in healthcare and regenerative medicine. The chemist at the Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules has just been appointed associate professor at the University of Montpellier, the very same place where she once sat in the lecture halls as a student.

A remarkable individual was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier in late December 2023. A leading Serbian scholar deeply committed to advancing research in her field of expertise, Milena Dragićević Šešić has helped develop cultural policy studies around the world, notably through the UNESCO Chair she has held since 2004.