After receiving the Initiative of Excellence label in January 2016, Université Côte d’Azur acquired the status of EPSCP – Grand Établissement. This change in status validates the modern and innovative transformation of the university.
Université Côte d’Azur is one of the nine French “IdEx” research-intensive universities with strong international influence. With more than 35,000 students, it is the leading center for higher education, driving growth in the Côte d’Azur region. It bases all its educational and innovation missions on the excellence of its research. It is also a founding member of the European alliance Ulysseus and equipped with major partnerships. Nonetheless, the university aims to position itself among the best European universities and thus strengthen its international dimension.
What does it mean?
In January 2020, Université Côte d’Azur was established as an Experimental Public Institution. The goal is to promote the development of a bold and autonomous strategy based on three points:
- The breaking down of barriers between education, research, and innovation
- The development of increased autonomy for the components to implement the institution’s policy
- The ability to harness the potential of the diversity represented by all its members and partners
Convinced that this model works, with a desire to stabilize it and clarify its legal status internationally, it has requested to exit the experimental status by becoming a Grand Établissement. This means that the university will be able to override the rules defined in the education code, gaining pedagogical, scientific, administrative, and financial autonomy.
In January 2024, the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) “praised the determination with which Université Côte d’Azur has committed to following [its] recommendations” and “gives a favorable opinion […] for its transformation into a Grand Établissement.”
