With Happi, student life sets the La for the Japanese year

As part of the Year of Japan, launched jointly with Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France is inaugurating its first student carnival on the Mont Houy campus. Named Happi, in reference to Japanese matsuri, this festive and cultural event marks a new stage in the dynamic student life carried by the establishment.

Cross interview

Dorothée Callens, vice-president in charge of student success and student life and Alexandre Bruhier, in charge of campus events, exchanges on the ambitions of this ground-breaking event.

And to discover the program for this first edition or book a place at the closing concert, visit the dedicated diary page.

Why did the university decide to organize a student carnival as part of the Year of Japan?

Dorothée Callens, vice-president of student success and student life:
The Happi Carnival is part of our desire to make the university a place for life, exchange, self-fulfilment and cultural openness. As the first major spring event in the Year of Japan, it introduces this themed programming with a unifying moment, accessible to the entire university community.

It's also a way of valuing the commitment of our students and offering them a space for expression and creativity. Through this event, we aim to create a collective moment that encourages encounters between students, staff and local partners, while celebrating the wealth of cultures present at the university.

How does this event reflect UPHF's identity and strategy?

Alexandre Bruhier, in charge of campus animation:
UPHF is a university open, inclusive and deeply rooted in its territory. Our community is made up of more than a hundred nationalities, and this diversity is a richness that we wish to make the most of.

The Happi carnival also reflects the diversity of our students' backgrounds and the associative vitality of our establishment: more than twenty student associations actively contribute to it, alongside the Valenciennes Student Federation and the Entraide Étudiants Étrangers (3E) association.

It's also a unifying event for our different sites: students from the Cambrai and Maubeuge campuses join Valenciennes for the occasion. This inter-campus dimension reinforces the feeling of belonging to the same university community.

The partnership with Toyota plays an important role in this theme year. What does this mean for the carnival?

Dorothée Callens:
The Year of Japan is part of a historic partnership with Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, a major industrial player in the region. For over twenty years, this partnership has been based on collaboration in training, research and innovation.

The Happi carnival is a concrete illustration of this relationship. In particular, the parade will be opened by a Yaris Cross hybrid, a symbol of technological innovation and tomorrow's mobilities. Toyota will also be offering an immersive space within the carnival village, with animations and virtual reality experiences. This will be the biggest stand in the village, with almost 100 m2 of entertainment.

Beyond the festive aspect, this presence is a reminder of the importance of the dialogue between university and industry, which contributes to the economic and scientific dynamism of our territory.

Affiche réalisée pour l'édition 2026 du Carnaval UPHF - © UPHF

In concrete terms, how will this first edition be organized?

Alexandre Bruhier:
The day will be punctuated by several highlights. The Grand Défilé, open to the entire university community, will kick off the festivities. From the Agoraé a colorful student procession led by a brass band and percussion will begin its stroll. The staff procession, led by the Amicale du personnel, will start from the l'Intermède. The processions will meet at the University Restaurant 2 and march through the campus together, until arriving at the village.

Then, a cultural and multicultural village will come to life around scenic animations, participatory workshops and themed spaces allowing symbolic travel between continents. One of the focal points will be the Japan Village, with origami workshops, traditional games and other activities inspired by Japanese culture.

The day will close with an exceptional concert by the group Makoto San at l'Intermède, a musical invitation to discover contemporary sounds inspired by Asia. This concert is open to the public.

What role does this event play in the university's student life policy?

Dorothée Callens:
Student life is now a strategic focus of our university policy. We are convinced that student success depends not only on the quality of teaching, but also on their well-being, their commitment and the quality of their campus experience. With this in mind, we are structuring our action around a Student Life Master Plan, which addresses key issues such as health, sport, culture, inclusion and community involvement.

The Happi carnival is fully in line with this dynamic: it creates a collective and convivial moment before the exam period, encouraging meetings and exchanges between students, staff and partners. It's also an opportunity to showcase the vitality of our associative life and the cultural diversity of our community.

Students seem particularly involved in the organization. Is this a deliberate choice?

Alexandre Bruhier:
Absolutely. At UPHF, we believe that students should be actors in university life. They are involved in decision-making on numerous councils and actively participate in the design of projects.

The Happi carnival is emblematic of this approach. Student associations are the driving force behind it, and the university plays a supporting and structuring role. This co-construction enables ambitious initiatives to emerge, while strengthening student commitment and responsibility.

Can we imagine this carnival becoming an enduring feature of university life?

This is indeed our ambition. This first edition is an important step, and we hope it will mark the beginning of an event that will become a permanent fixture in the life of the university. The idea is that, over the years, this carnival will become an eagerly-awaited event for students, staff and, more broadly, the entire university community.

We also want it to be able to evolve and grow, gradually opening up even more to the region and our partners.