Flagship Projects

I-SITE Excellence Program

Awarded in 2017 and renewed in 2022, the I-SITE program of excellence brings together 16 institutions around a shared vision: to establish in Montpellier a research-intensive thematic university, internationally recognized for its impact on societal challenges such as food security, environmental protection, and human health. Over the course of a five-year pilot period, significant transformations have been set in motion across every major aspect of academic life. These initiatives, previously carried out under the umbrella of the Montpellier University of Excellence Foundation, are now fully integrated into the activities of the University of Montpellier’s administrative departments and services.

IDIL

Through its Interdisciplinary & In-lab Graduate Program, the University of Montpellier welcomes French and international students to eight new master’s programs and one engineering program, all taught in English. The goal is to enhance the University of Montpellier’s international outreach, strengthen education through and for research, and promote interdisciplinarity. This program represents a true academic innovation and is part of the France 2030 initiative “Structuring Education Through Research,” open to institutions holding an Idex or I-Site designation.

Digital Technology for Education

To diversify teaching methods in support of student success and career readiness, the University of Montpellier is leveraging digital technology to address educational challenges.

School of Digital Health at the University of Montpellier

The Digital Health School of the University of Montpellier and its partners is a project certified under the France 2030 initiative as part of the “Skills and Professions of the Future” call for proposals; it is the only project selected at the national level to train all professionals involved in digital health. It is an original and innovative initiative offering initial, vocational, and work-study training programs in the field of digital health. It takes a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to training to address the challenges of digital health, formerly known as e-health.

Charm-me

The University of Montpellier has been a member of the CHARM-EU European University Alliance since 2019, alongside eight other prestigious universities in Europe. Together, we are working to design and create a unique new university model aimed at improving the quality, international competitiveness, and appeal of European higher education.

Exposum

The ExposUM Institute is an initiative of the University of Montpellier and its partners aimed at establishing a leading, cross-disciplinary, off-campus institute dedicated to the study, education, and science-society interaction regarding the environmental determinants of human health. A winner of the ExcellenceS (PIA4) call for proposals and supported by the Occitanie Region, ExposUM is funded to the tune of €46.4 million for the period 2022–2030.

MOMENT-um

Boosting research, training, and innovation. With substantial funding of over 3.6 million euros, the Moment-UM project is part of the fourth France 2030 Future Investment Plan, launched by the National Research Agency Research ANR). This project aims to strengthen UM’s position as a key player in European research, continuing education, and innovation through various initiatives.  

Key Challenges Facing the Occitanie Region

Advancing regional research to better preserve biodiversity, more effectively combat vector-borne diseases, envision the future of viticulture and oenology, and address the collective challenges of the water cycle…  These are just some of the scientific challenges that the University of Montpellier and its regional partners aim to address by taking on four of the 15 “key challenges” identified and supported by the Occitanie Region.

UM2030 – IDEAS: Integration and Development of IDEX and ISITE

The France 2030 UM2030-IDéES program, titled “Integration and Development of IdEx and ISITE,” aims to strengthen the central role played by the University of Montpellier by bringing together all partners of the I-SITE consortium in a shared initiative.

Funded by the National Research Agency, IDéES—led by François Pierrot, Vice President of International Relations—aims to develop large-scale initiatives addressing the three major challenges of “Feeding, Healing, and Protecting” through three components:

• Strategic International Partnerships
• Data Science for All Sciences
• Innovation Campus

Foundations

As key drivers of the University’s initiatives, the foundations address the needs of businesses and industry. They provide students and doctoral candidates with new opportunities to pursue their career goals.