Université Côte d'Azur and Université Laval strengthen their partnership: setting course for new ambitions

The Université Côte d'Azur delegation led by its President Jeanick Brisswalter and its Vice-President in charge of the Excellence Initiative Sylvain Antoniotti met with Université Laval's Rector Sophie d'Amours, Vice-Rector for Research Eugénie Brouillet, Vice-Rector for Internationalization François Gélineau and their assistants. The meeting, which also included Jean Dellamonica, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, saw the signing of a new international cooperation and mobility agreement in the field of health, involving the faculties of medicine and the university hospitals of Nice and Quebec.

At the same time, a thematic mission dedicated to health deepened the collaborations initiated last December in fields such as neurosciences, respiratory health epidemiology, gerontology, computer-assisted surgery, prevention and access to care. More broadly, the presence of the Director of Université Côte d'Azur's Inria Center was an opportunity to pursue the development of a strong focus on digital health. The Université Côte d'Azur delegation met over 60 researchers and visited more than 10 research centers at ULaval.

The results of the past year confirm the dynamism of the partnership: +50% of joint publications between 2022 and 2024, almost 100 mobilities in 2024, and 9 thematic missions supported. Mutual trust also fuels institutional exchanges in human resources, sustainable development and support for Horizon Europe. In research, the health axis is being intensified, while projects in digital technology, chemistry, international law and physics are being pursued. On the training front, the Chaires de Leadership en Enseignement (CLE) in Pedagogical Design and Women's Health will come to an end in 2025, with numerous results, including the opening of the Maison des Femmes des Alpes-Maritimes inspired by the Quebec model.

From year to year, collaborations between Université Côte d'Azur and Université Laval become more firmly rooted in the university communities, giving life to a privileged partnership, steered for Université Côte d'Azur by the IdEx, that is increasingly vibrant and structuring.

As the partnership enters its ninth year, the governing bodies have embarked on a strategic planning process to refocus priorities and strengthen support for high-potential areas.

Find out more about the IdEx International and Europe Program