Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France hopes to be recognized as a Grand Etablissement before the end of the summer
President Abdelhakim Artiba chose the now traditional July staff meeting to give concrete information on the facility's project.
On his return from the CNESER, where, along with Vice President CA Souad Harmand and Director General of Services Eric Bricout, he had just submitted the Grand Etablissement UPHF statutes in person two days earlier, the University President declared: "We asked for this internal process to be completed this academic year, and the process ended the day before yesterday at the CNESER with 70% positive votes, which is exceptional. DGesip is very proud".
A little history
Committed to an ambitious transformation process since 2016, the Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut - Cambrésis became Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, an experimental establishment, by decree in September 2019. After a 3-year experimental period, in December 2022, the Board of Directors unanimously approved the request to leave the experiment and become a Grand Etablissement. In November 2023, the HCERES issued its evaluation report, giving a favorable opinion subject to 3 express recommendations. Following a response to these recommendations, the final favorable opinion was obtained in September 2024. The statutes will then be finalized, and the DGESIP will be informed in April 2025.
After this advisory opinion from the CNESER, the file will now arrive in the hands of the interministerial commission.
What it changes
President Abdelhakim Artiba considers that "All the lights are green". At the start of the new school year, however, there will be no notable changes. This transition to a Grand Etablissement means validating the transformations carried out over the last few years, such as the creation of INSA Hauts-de-France and the integration of ESAC as component establishments.
And the future?
The evolution of the establishment will therefore be able to continue under the best possible conditions, and ambitious projects are already on the table, such as the development of the healthcare sector, particularly paramedical training, the creation of a digital design school or the opening of an ENS.