The University of Reunion welcomes its international students

The only French and European university in the Indian Ocean, the University of Reunion stands out for its high level of internationalization with 986 students of 68 nationalities registered in 2021-22 and 647 students of 55 nationalities already registered for the year which opens. This Friday, September 16, the establishment, which is celebrating 40 years of openness to the world, welcomed its international students, a sign of the attractiveness of its training offer abroad and the dynamism of its exchange programs.

The establishment, a candidate for the second star of the “Bienvenue en France” label, is also developing new reception systems, including “Campus Tour Thursdays” as well as new regional and cross mobility exchange programs.. This year, 21 students were welcomed as part of our REUNION program, in addition to the 22 welcomed last year”, indicates Anne-Françoise ZATTARA, Deputy Vice-President Europe & International, Regional Cooperation at the University of Reunion Island during this dedicated day.

A tailor-made welcome dedicated to international students

This back-to-school event, which is a special moment for exchanges, aims to give these students from all continents all the keys to succeed in their academic year. They will be presented with the priorities of the establishment, faculties and university services as well as the leisure activities and activities available on their campuses. More broadly, information about their new environment was given to them.

The quality of reception being one of the priorities of the establishment labeled Bienvenue en France, it has implemented numerous initiatives aimed at making the stay of these students successful : support on arrival at the airport, support throughout their study stay, connection with “international ambassador” students divided by component to facilitate the daily life of international students.

Finally, specific courses are open to them, knowing that the establishment has had a catalog of courses in English since last year. For international students who have not yet been able to join the establishment, the University of Reunion offers distance learning, thanks to its online course platforms.

The 5 nationalities most represented among our students come from the Comoros, Madagascar, Germany, Mauritius and Switzerland.

Note, among the “rare” nationalities welcomed this year:

• Le Rwanda (thanks to the joint action of the University of Reunion and the French embassy on site),
• South Africa, with the new cross-mobility program set up with UKZN at the initiative of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs,
• Le Panama,
• La Bolivia.

40 years of openness to the world

In 40 years, the University of Reunion has become a key player regionally and on the international scene. The only French and European university in the Indian Ocean zone (ZOI), positioned on the Africa-Asia axis, it wishes to fully assume the major role of ambassador of French higher education, Research, and Innovation and European in Indianoceania. This desire is illustrated in particular with the establishment new regional mobility programs.

A new exchange program with South Africa

Initiated by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in order to strengthen mobility and exchanges between the African continent and France, the strategic cross mobility program between France and South Africa aims to contribute to the scientific advancement of both countries through the financing of short-term exchange visits of graduate students in thematic areas of mutual interest and enable these students to network in order to fully develop their research potential and acquire in-depth knowledge in their research areas. The experiment carried out in 2022 by the university in partnership with the University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN) in 4 areas (Building and energy, Atmosphere and Climate, Agri-food, Biodiversity and tropical aquatic, coastal and island ecosystems) will allow 10 students (5 from each university) to complete in each of the host establishments a semester of university studies recognized in the original establishment.

Extension of the REGIONAL EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY INDIAN OCEAN mobility program (REUNION)

This first regional mobility program, similar to the ERASMUS+ program, destination for students and staff in the Great Indian Ocean region (Comoros, Kenya Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles) was launched during the 2021-2022 academic year. Its aim is to strengthen regional cooperation between partner higher education establishments, to consolidate the skills of students and staff from these institutions and to offer them high-quality training.

For its first year, the REUNION program aroused keen interest, since it enabled the realization of 22 student mobilities at the university as well as 10 staff mobilities (5 at the University of La Réunion and 5 in partner establishments). With 21 students already expected for the 1^er semester, REUNION has become an essential mobility program on a regional scale.

Furthermore, with its new Erasmus+ accreditation for the period 2021-2027, the University of La Réunion today has 214 disciplinary agreements with 123 European establishments. Very attractive to German students, the UR is implementing a new innovative course this year thanks to Franco-German cooperation.

The University of Reunion, first university in the outermost regions to join the Franco-German university network

By becoming a partner of the UFA, the University of Reunion joins a network of more than 190 higher education establishments, located in mainland France and Germany, bringing together nearly 6 students and more than 400 doctoral students. This membership thus reinforces the action of the University of Reunion in favor of the Franco-German partnership, already materialized by numerous student and teacher exchange agreements in collaboration with 41 German universities and the opening of the second year of the Franco-German dual degree in collaboration with the Ruhr University in Bochum (Germany) focusing on the German-speaking and French-speaking overseas areas in their respective universities.

This is a major novelty in the training offer of the University of Reunion Island, which is the first university in the outermost regions of Europe to set up such a course.

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