BRIDGE mobility program: implementation and new advances

The International Relations Pole recently visited England with the aim of continuing to set up the BRIDGE program, aimed in particular at fostering student exchanges with prestigious English-speaking universities.

The University is working to steer and implement an innovative internationalization policy in research and teaching, proposing new models of cooperation that promote learning opportunities for its students and those of our partners.
The BRIDGE program, Boosting Relations through Internship Development, Global Experience, and Education, was created and developed with this in mind. This model of partnership and exchange scheme between UPHF and leading English-speaking universities is a response, in particular, to the consequences for student mobility of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
The BRIDGE scheme consists, on the one hand, of the creation of an international exchange program, and, on the other hand, of the creation of an international exchange program. The BRIDGE scheme consists, on the one hand, of welcoming students from partner universities for internships in research laboratories and administrative services, and, on the other, of offering UPHF/INSA students the opportunity to spend a semester or a year studying in an English-speaking partner institution.

Two new British partners, the University of Central Lancashire (Preston) and the University of Hull (Kingston-upon-Hull) recently joined the adventure and opened their doors to the Pôle de Relations Internationales, represented by Jonathan Brindle, PRI Director, and Karen Miller, International Cooperation Officer, from March 18 to 20, 2024.
The various meetings with professors and counterparts from the international relations departments have enabled us to lay the foundations for the implementation of the BRIDGE program; hosting arrangements, particularly with regard to internship periods in France, visits to laboratories to gain a better understanding of the research environment and to campuses and student residences for UPHF/INSA students' stays.

Communication and sharing between professors at each institution have greatly contributed to the signing of these partnerships. For UCLAN, the co-creation of an internship offer in human movement science by Emilie Simoneau (LAMIH) and Jim Richards (UCLAN) made this collaboration possible. As for HULL, a collaboration between Samuel Dupont (IEMN) and Jean-Sébastien Bouillard (HULL) in the field of optics facilitated the creation and realization of the agreement.

By launching this program, UPHF/INSA is paving the way for a new era of educational cooperation and stronger ties with English-speaking countries.