International relations: looking back at the highlights of the start of the year

1. A friendly welcome and tailored support for our international students

Starting in August, IUT Lyon 1 had the pleasure of counting among its new students individuals from Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and other countries.

In order to celebrate internationality and kick off this new academic year together, get-togethers were organized. In a friendly atmosphere, students were able to get to know each other, chat, and participate in fun activities over a drink and some treats. Several outings have already been set up to facilitate the creation of initial bonds.

As every year, this welcome was made possible thanks to the dedication of our students, who organize these moments of exchange for all incoming mobility students. They will indeed be by their side throughout the year to support them in their local integration, regularly offering them cultural visits and student outings.

Acknowledgements: thanks to the students of the G'ErAsmus and Melting-Pot projects, to their faculty advisors, to the Institute's Administration, as well as the International Relations department for the organization. A big thank you also to our partner universities for their renewed trust.

2. IUT Lyon 1's outreach at the EAIE Exhibition in Scotland

From September 8 to 11, the International Relations department flew to Glasgow, Scotland, to participate in the EAIE ("European Association for International Education") Exhibition. This major international exhibition is a must-attend event bringing together universities from all over the world.

On the agenda for this trip: meeting with our historical partners and promising discussions with new universities wishing to set up a partnership with IUT Lyon 1. This year, particular emphasis was placed on two geographical areas:

• The United Kingdom, in view of its highly anticipated return to the Erasmus program planned for 2027,
• Asia, with fruitful discussions conducted with universities in Japan and Taiwan, specifically targeting biology research partnerships.

Following this major event, IUT Lyon 1 hopes to sign new exchange agreements very soon for the benefit of our students.

Acknowledgements: thanks to the many universities met during the exhibition, to Anne DAUMAS (Coordinator of the Institute's International Relations department), and to Mayssoun TRABOULSI (International Mobility Correspondent for the Biological Engineering department at the Bourg-en-Bresse campus) for their involvement.

3. Our international students hosted at the Bourg-en-Bresse City Hall

In early October, and for the third consecutive year, the international students of the Bourg-en-Bresse campus had the honor of being hosted at the City Hall by Grand Bourg Agglomération and local elected officials.

This event is a great opportunity for students to meet each other and learn more about the city, its outing ideas, as well as its sports and cultural facilities. Internationalization was proudly represented by our students. Their profiles are varied: some are enrolled to complete the full 3 years of the BUT, others are Erasmus students here for a semester, or PhD students within the LAGEPP.

Among them, Tuana and Yağız, two Turkish Erasmus students enrolled in the IT department for a semester, had the opportunity to talk directly with Sylviane CHÊNE and Béatrice MORIN. These discussions took place in a relaxed atmosphere over a welcome drink and petit fours. To mark this wonderful integration, all participants had the chance to leave with a gift provided by the partners of Grand Bourg Agglomération. Note that an article dedicated to this reception will soon be published in the local newspaper.

Acknowledgements: thanks to the Bourg-en-Bresse urban agglomeration, to Jean-François DEBAT (Mayor of Bourg-en-Bresse and President of the Bourg-en-Bresse urban agglomeration), to Sylviane CHÊNE (Vice-President in charge of Culture and Higher Education for the Bourg-en-Bresse urban agglomeration, City Councilor for the City of Bourg-en-Bresse), to Béatrice MORIN (Councilor in charge of International Relations for the City of Bourg-en-Bresse), as well as to Anne DAUMAS (Project Manager at the Institute's International Relations department).