Bilateral visits

From January 15 to 17, 2024, Prof. Irini Tsamadou-Jacoberger, the Vice President for Europe and International Relations of the University of Strasbourg, along with two members of the International Relations Office, Mathilde Le Clainche, International Project Officer and Galya Hovhannisyan, International Project Officer Assistant led an exploratory mission to the University of Rwanda.

In the post-genocide era, the University of Rwanda plays a vital role in advancing the socio-economic development of the country and creating community cohesion through the provision of high-quality education, research, and employment opportunities for its students. New partnerships bring innovation, excellence and international openness to the university.

The primary objective of the visit was thus to facilitate meaningful discussions with the University representatives and faculty members, and explore potential avenues for future partnerships.

Prior to the exploratory visit, various faculties and research units at the University of Strasbourg were notified and requested to express their interest and identify potential areas for collaboration. The collected feedback and ideas served as the foundation for shaping the agenda of the meetings.

During the visit, the delegation engaged in discussions regarding the overall framework for future collaboration with the Vice Chancellor, Ass. Prof. KAYIHURA and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration, Dr. NDIKUMANA. The intention was to explore the possibility of signing a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding covering different aspects of partnership, such as training and research, as well as academic mobility.

Furthermore, the delegation participated in discussions with five Colleges of the University of Rwanda, specifically the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), the College of Education (CE), the College of Business and Economics (CBE), and the College of Science and Technology (CST), including visits to laboratories and an innovation hub.

Discussions with professors and various College representatives have emphasized the continued importance of promoting the French language and Francophony. Initiatives like the training of language assistants and the promotion of French as a foreign language remain areas of significant interest.

The ANIME Network on Inclusiveness, Multilingualism, and Excellence was also introduced, with the University of Rwanda expressing a keen interest in becoming part of this academic platform.

The discussions proved fruitful, leading to the generation of concrete ideas for partnership development. These ideas encompass a range of initiatives, from academic mobility to internships, and from collaborative research and joint scientific projects to the organization of conferences and study days.

In May 2022, the ANIME delegation, led by Prof. Irini Tsamadou-Jacoberger, Vice President for Europe and International Relations, held its inaugural mission to Israel. During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to engage with colleagues from two prominent Israeli universities, namely the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) and Bar-Ilan University (BIU). The primary focus of the discussions revolved around the concept of inclusion and its connection to internationalisation, as exemplified by the "Unit for Diversity and Inclusion" overseen by Professor Mona Khoury-Kassabri, who serves as the Vice President for Strategy and Diversity at HUJI. The delegation also visited Technion University.

The second mission took place in Romania in November 2022, specifically at Babes-Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca. The Vice President and the Office of International Relations of the University of Strasbourg (Unistra) were part of a larger delegation that included seven affiliated institutions operating under the Alsatian site contract (2018 - 2022). These institutions included the National University Library of Strasbourg (BNU), the National School for Water and Environmental Engineering of Strasbourg (ENGEES), the National School of Architecture of Strasbourg (ENSAS), the University of Arts of Rhin (HEAR), the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Strasbourg (INSA), and the University of Upper Alsace (UHA).

The ANIME team also embarked on a journey to West Africa from January 29 to February 4, 2023, where they engaged with the Universities of Lomé (UL), Ghana (UG), and Cape Coast (UCC). Both the University of Lomé and the University of Ghana expressed their interest in joining the MUDExI consortium, formed within ANIME in September of the previous year. This consortium comprises institutions such as Babes-Bolyai University in Romania, St Kliment Ohridski University in Bulgaria, Sao Paulo University in Brazil, Ngaoundéré University in Cameroon, and the University of Strasbourg in France. They had been selected to collaborate on the project titled "Dynamic Multi/Plurilingualism: A Foundation for Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education - MUDExI" in response to the 2022 call for proposals by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.

In April 2023, the University of Strasbourg (Unistra) carried out a special mission in Colombia. The delegation was led by Prof. Irini Tsamadou-Jacoberger, Vice President for Europe and International Relations, and included Prof. Alexandra Knaebel, Vice President for Education and Student Success, Sophie Kennel, Vice President Delegated for Pedagogical Transformation, who also serves as the Director of IDIP, along with a team from the Office of International Relations, headed by Ms. Irina Simion. The mission entailed visits to five institutions in Bogotá: the National University of Colombia (a public institution), the University of the Andes, the University of Rosario, the Javeriana University, and UNIMINUTO, all of which are private institutions. Beyond promoting Unistra to Colombian students, this mission had a threefold objective: to reinvigorate previous collaborations, enhance existing partnerships, and initiate new bilateral initiatives. An international framework agreement was signed with UNIMINUTO, which had joined the ANIME network the previous year.