Ambition and strategy

With its location in a cross-border region, the University of Lille places Europe and the international dimension at the heart of its policy and its actions. Its ambition is to be the leading French university in north-western Europe.

Through a range of integrational and innovative programmes and projects, all of the University’s structures are becoming increasingly international. They combine training, research and high-quality support with a spirit of inclusion and openness to the rest of the world. The international dimension is also a key part of the University’s strategy of inclusive excellence.

9900

International students

115

Nationalities

1000

Partnerships

2000

Students on international mobility

The University of Lille offers a broad range of innovative courses with a strong international dimension.

Building on its wealth of experience with online courses and remote teaching, it supports pedagogic innovation through tools like MOOCs, serious games, online preparation for language certificates, hybrid courses, etc.

To ensure its courses are open to as many students as possible, the University runs 26 programmes taught entirely in English and 30 bilingual programmes.

A total of 36 dual degree courses and six Erasmus Mundus Master’s further boost the international dynamic of its educational offer, combined with a robust language teaching policy, with no fewer than 23 foreign languages taught.

Each year, more than 2,000 students from the University take part in mobility programmes in more than 120 different countries. This mobility is an integral part of their curriculum and fully recognised.

For post-Bachelor’s students, the University of Lille runs four graduate programmes linked to the themes of its certified excellence initiative, I-SITE. Each one is multidisciplinary, with Master’s and Doctoral degrees available. These top-level programmes focus on research and take place entirely in English.

To support the academic success of its students, the University of Lille has also put in place innovative schemes to promote the international dimension throughout their studies and subsequent careers. For example, the International label valorises a student’s international mobility within their curriculum.

Research in Lille is among the top 10 French universities most involved in Horizon 2020

Covering all branches of knowledge, the University of Lille has a total of 62 laboratories and research units, with 1,800 doctoral researchers from seven Graduate Schools spanning all of the academic fields studied at ULille.

The University of Lille is a major research university with a strong reputation across Europe and internationally. The quality of its research has been recognised through prestigious labels and national funding for excellence: one I-SITE, one national centre of excellence for neurodegenerative disease (Licend) and the PreciDIAB institute, which works on diabetes. Within the region, it houses many structures, networks and programmes that contribute to the efficacy and multidisciplinarity of its research, as well as promoting it on a socio-economic level: one internal cancer research unit (ONCOLille) and one technology transfer company (SATT-Nord). It is part of a network that includes eight innovation clusters and seven competitiveness clusters, where businesses and research units collaborate on innovation in cutting-edge sectors.

The University of Lille boasts major research facilities of the highest level: 47 platforms and 10 national research centres. These cover a diverse range of areas like biology and healthcare, chemistry and materials, marketing, mathematics and computer engineering, mechanical and civil engineering, observations and environmental science, visual environments and interactions, humanities and social science, information and communications technology, transport and robotics. These have excellence-certified equipment, including nine EQUIPEX+, with ultramodern facilities for use in different domains: technological platforms, molecular and cellular imaging, biotherapy, genomics, proteomics and biocomputing, clinical valorisation of research, in vivo imaging, medication, experimental resources, therapeutic innovation, virtual reality, neuroimaging, scanners and 3D printers, etc.

The excellence of its research enhances the University’s reputation far beyond its borders. ULille works with 21 International Associate Laboratories and four International Research Projects alongside a diverse range of partners worldwide. It also shines through its participation in 12 European Research Projects and 10 Horizon 2020-funded projects.

The University of Lille encourages collaboration between researchers from different fields and supports their international projects. To do this, it has established a cross-disciplinary department for project engineering and development as well as a department for the valorisation of research.

The University of Lille has also developed a robust policy to host doctoral researchers, with several joint thesis supervision partnerships where the researcher alternates between Lille and an institute abroad.

A multicultural and international spirit at the heart of the European metropolis of Lille

Lille is the epicentre of intense cultural activity and has a rich cultural heritage that is the legacy of its long history at the heart of Europe.

The University of Lille attracts many international students through university exchanges in partnership with leading higher education institutes across the European Union and worldwide, and also thanks to the many bilateral agreements it has reached and its participation in several exchange programmes like Erasmus+, MAUI, AEN and ISEP.

Its dynamic approach to hosting students in optimal conditions has been recognised with the label Bienvenue en France. Through its Maison Internationale, the University of Lille emphasises the importance of supporting students and researchers, taking key steps to make sure their stay goes as smoothly as possible. Both electronic and physical services are made available to help international students find accommodation, open a bank account, apply for a residency permit and much more. The Erasmus Student Network in Lille plays a part in welcoming them and assisting them throughout their time in Lille, and exchange students can find accommodation in modern facilities like Résidence Reeflex, located on the Cité Scientifique campus. A dedicated department is available to assist disabled students throughout their course, with specially adapted facilities.

The 8,000 international students at the University of Lille represent more than 115 nationalities and benefit from specific initiatives. The Welcome Days at the beginning of each term introduce students to the services available at the University and across the metropolitan area: social security, housing subsidies, Ilévia (public transport), etc. In November, a whole week is dedicated to them: International Student Week. This gives them an opportunity to be quickly integrated with a series of social gatherings and other festive events. A dedicated mobile app also enhances their mobility experience both before and during their stay.

Theme-specific courses are run in the summer as well as language lessons to prepare for their mobility trip. International students can obtain French-language qualifications in specially dedicated units like the Department of French Teaching Internationally (DEFI), the University of Lille Language Centre (CLIL) or the International Academy which runs a summer school.

Language “cafes”, conferences, fun activities and other events are regularly held to bring French and foreign students together.

This international mindset is also reflected in exchange programmes for teaching, research and administrative staff from institutes abroad, through Erasmus+, specific agreements or one-off initiatives like guest speakers at conferences.

A dynamic policy of international cooperation

The University of Lille has a strong focus on internationalisation built on strategic alliances.

The University’s European and international policy is central to its overall project and vision. Together with its partners, it develops structured programmes combining research and teaching, from Bachelor’s to doctoral level. It has placed strong emphasis on initiatives for the joint supervision of doctoral theses and put in place services, units and research laboratories in collaboration with European and international partners. It also encourages mobility among its students and staff.

Consortiums

Located in a region that faces multiple challenges but also has strong potential when it comes to scientific, economic and social innovation, the University of Lille came together with the University of Ghent and KU Leuven in Belgium and the University of Kent in the United Kingdom to create the 3i University Network. This was done within the scope of the I-SITE project, which seeks to strengthen the link between the University and its ecosystem. And so the objective underpinning this network is to get researchers, local authorities, socio-economic actors and civil society representatives to work together in response to shared challenges in the Hauts-de-France region, Flanders and Kent.

To support its strategy of inclusive excellence, the University has developed the InclusU alliance. With participation from seven European universities and placing inclusion at the heart of their vision, InclusU is a strategic alliance to develop transnational cooperation in education, research and community engagement. The alliance works as an incubator for innovative projects on issues of vulnerability and inclusion. Together, the seven partners respond to national and international calls for projects. Consolidating this cooperation, the InclusU alliance made a successful bid to the German government through its German partner, the European University Viadrina, and also to the Programme Investissements d’Avenir in France. Its partners have benefited from Erasmus+ support for a project on digital inclusion (DIAL4U) and secured funding for several research networks, including one on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations in Europe. Its activities are linked to the I-SITE cluster working on vulnerability and inclusion.

Partnerships around the world

The University of Lille has established partnerships around the world, with particularly strong links to Latin America and Asia. In order to support its projects in these zones, promote its programmes and offer local contact points for its partners, the University plans to open offices in these key regions. The first was established in Belo Horizonte in Brazil in 2019, and others will follow.

Partners and networks

The University’s international ambition is reflected in institutional networks and agreements, including its participation in the European University Association (EUA), the university agency for Francophonie (AUF) and the body responsible for promoting the French higher education system abroad, Campus France. Since 2020, the University of Lille has been a member of the European network SGroup, which encourages excellence in higher education in synergy with the needs of society.

It is also a member of several exchange programmes for international students: with the United States (International Student Exchange Program – ISEP), Quebec (Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire France-Québec) and Europe (Erasmus+). It collaborates with many other countries through a large number of bilateral agreements and has developed structural partnerships with several university consortiums.

"Welcome to France" label: quality of the welcome services and support for international students

With thousands of international students representing more than 150 different nationalities, the quality of the welcome services and support for international students is at the heart of the University of Lille's internationalization strategy.

In 2019, the quality and dynamism of the University of Lille’s welcome services and support were recognized when Campus France granted ULille its "Welcome to France" label with 2 stars.

This "Welcome to France" label is a guarantee for international students.

It is awarded by Campus France to higher education institutions that wish to showcase their efforts to improve the welcome and accompaniment of their international students. It is based on the examination of 20 indicators, distributed across 5 different categories that relate to the different needs of international students:

1) Quality and accessibility of information;
2) Quality and accessibility of welcome facilities;
3) Accessibility and support for courses;
4) Housing and quality of campus life;
5) Quality of post-graduation follow-up

For more information on the "Welcome to France" label, visit the Campus France website and watch the presentation video.

Through its Maison Internationale, the University of Lille focuses on providing services and support to students and researchers by implementing a full-service programme to welcome and accompany them throughout their time in Lille. The International House is organized around two offices, the Helpdesk and the Welcome Desk. Together, these two offices provide numerous virtual and in-person services to help international students find housing, open a bank account, apply for a residence permit, and more. The Welcome Days at the beginning of each semester allow students to learn about the services of the university and the city in general. In November, the International Student Week provides an opportunity for international students to boost their integration by participating in fun and festive events. Numerous events open to international students punctuate the academic year and also contribute to their integration. Two dedicated mobile applications (ULillGo and ULillExplore) also accompany their mobility experience before and during their stay. International students on exchange programs can benefit from modern housing facilities such as the Reeflex Residence, on the Cité Scientifique campus. A specialized office accompanies students with disabilities throughout their studies, so that they can benefit from adapted services. Finally, the Lilagora Platform allows students to find a job or an internship by joining an academic and professional network.