Our IDEX project is focused clearly and exclusively on creating a single world-class university : Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA). This university will reinforce our capacity to attract leading scholars and students, develop ground-breaking research and competitive curricula and promote a specific identity focused on innovation. UGA will be a fully integrated institution with single research and education strategies and clear decision-making processes.
This ambition is shared by all the partners of the project – the universities Joseph Fourier, Pierre Mendès France and Stendhal ; the grandes écoles Grenoble INP, IEP Grenoble and ENSAG ; the national research organisms CNRS, CEA, INSERM, Inria, Irstea ; and the university hospital CHU Grenoble.
We have the full support of social, economic and cultural institutions as well as that of the local authorities. Most important of all, our project is backed by our academic and support staff, our students and alumni.
The starting point : strong assets, low visibility
Together, our institutions are highly competitive, as shown by our success at PIA calls, the number of ERCs and patents, the attractiveness of the PhD programmes and the quality of student life.
Despite these strengths, our international visibility could clearly be improved and our internal synergies increased. Grenoble needs a figurehead : a comprehensive, highly visible, world-class institution at the core of its innovative ecosystem. University Grenoble Alpes (UGA) will play this role.
Since 2012, the institutional landscape has evolved significantly. The ComUE, created in December 2014, has explicitly been conceived as an instrument of transformation of the landscape. The national research organisms and in particular the CEA, CNRS and Inria are fully involved, both in the ComUE and the IDEX proposal.
These institutional changes have been associated to important concrete steps towards the creation of UGA. The partners of the ComUE have merged their doctoral schools in a single Collège Doctoral, all their research activities have been regrouped in 6 research departments and they have adopted a common affiliation for all their scientific publications.
The partners commit to create together the world-class innovation university supporting the development of the territory and use the IDEX as a lever of transformation.
Boosting excellence
As we progress towards our institutional target, the IDEX actions will enable us to boost the quality and visibility of UGA.
These actions are structured by two transversal focuses. First, empower and improve our research capacities in humanities and social sciences. Second, foster multidisciplinary research to tackle four key socio-economic challenges, chosen in line with the European, national, regional and metropolitan priorities and based on our strengths : sustainable planet and society ; health, well-being and technology ; understanding and fostering innovation ; digital world. All actions will be co-funded by the IDEX and the partners.
We are fully committed to our trajectory : use the ComUE as a lever for transformation, merge the three universities in 2016, promote the brand University Grenoble Alpes, converge ComUEand UGA towards our target structure.
We are well aware that the path ahead is ambitious. We have the full support of our communities and are united around our common goal : to create the University Grenoble Alpes.
This article is a copy of the UGA one : http://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/en/about-uga/idex-project/