The Université Catholique de Lille is one of the French universities that pioneered international mobility, signing international partnership agreements in the early 1970s and participating in the Erasmus programme from the European Commission since it started in the late 1980s.
Key figures
A European actor
Being committed, and especially in the European project and vision, is part of the university’s ‘integral education’ project. It ensures the quality of teaching and research. It emphasizes a strong attention to welcoming, monitoring and supporting students. It gives them the opportunity to receive a human, social and ethical education, as well as a variety of community and solidarity-based opportunities.
2nd largest Erasmus consortium in France
For several years and again in 2022, the Université Catholique de Lille has been ranked 2nd French university in terms of number of Erasmus exchanges, with a total of over 1,300 exchanges per year – a recognition that underlines its central role in the European university landscape.
Our European projects
The Université Catholique de Lille is actively involved in a number of key European projects, confirming its role as an internationally committed university.
A wide range of mobility opportunities for students and staff
A comprehensive student training
The Université Catholique de Lille offers an educational project based on developing students’ intercultural and linguistic skills, and emphasizing tolerance and open-mindedness, especially via the European motto “unity in diversity”. For more information about the University’s educational project, please click on the button below.
An expertise in linguistic and intercultural studies
At the Université Catholique de Lille, developing intercultural skills is an integral part of most curricula. At the end of their studies, students are expected to have a good proficiency in English and are encouraged to learn a third foreign language. This specific attention reinforces linguistic and intercultural openness. A variety of courses in English, available in all disciplines, supports this approach. CLARIFE, the university’s language centre, offers courses in 10 foreign languages, teaches specialised degrees and proposes language certification. It also offers intensive French courses for international students throughout the academic year or in short programs, such as the LILLE Programs.
Customised courses
For more than 40 years, our University has been promoting international mobility by adjusting to the recommendations of the Bologna Process, which aims to make higher education in Europe easier to understand on a global scale, in particular through the organization of the year in semesters and the common credit transfer system across Europe. Since 2008, our course catalogue has been compatible with the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and is available in both French and English. We offer a wide range of courses in English and international degree programs in a large number of disciplines.
Strategic partnerships have led to joint curricula, and our schools offer double degree programs. Our offer of courses in English is very diverse and of great quality thanks to our numerous bilingual or visiting lecturers.
An international actor
Support to refugees
The Université Catholique de Lille is demonstrating its international commitment by welcoming refugees to enable them to continue or complete their studies, by working with AUF and UNHCR and their Univ’R programme. This solidarity initiative reinforces its involvement in international cooperation and demonstrates its commitment to inclusion and solidarity.
An actor in several international networks
The Université Catholique de Lille has a vast international network which is always expanding. It aims to strengthen its academic partnerships and research collaborations around the world to offer students and staff enriching opportunities for exchange and cooperation on a global scale.
“Welcome to France”
The Université Catholique de Lille has been awarded the “Bienvenue en France” label by the French government for its commitment to providing a high-quality welcome for international students. This label recognizes the university’s ongoing efforts to guarantee a strong support and good environment leading to the academic success and integration of international students. Since it was awarded the Label, the university has been taking further steps to improve its welcome and support services for international students, thereby strengthening its position as a higher education institution open to the world.
Presence over the 5 continents
A large network in Europe
At the heart of Europe and in the legacy of Robert Schuman after whom one of our buildings have been named, the Université Catholique de Lille attaches great importance to European citizenship. Involved in Erasmus programmes from the outset, it manages one of the largest consortia in France, with more than 1 300 outgoing students and more than 450 Erasmus partnerships in 29 countries. Since 2017, it has extended its network to countries bordering the EU, with student and staff exchanges with Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-and-Herzegovina and Georgia. The University also runs cooperation and research projects in Europe, and offers numerous double degrees with European universities.
A pioneering university in North America
The Université Catholique de Lille has been a pioneer in the development of university partnerships between France and North America since the 1970s. It now has 37 inter-university agreements in the United States and Canada.
Working together with Africa
The Université Catholique de Lille has 18 partners in Africa, mostly with other Catholic Universities and health institutions. It is involved in several capacity-building projects with Burundi and Cameroon (as well as with Haiti). They provide ongoing support to foster the professional development of university professors, researchers, and administrative staff. Training and/or research grants are awarded to colleagues who are already actively involved in their institution, and who commit to putting their Masters or PhD training to the benefit of their university or association for a minimum of 5 years. This action also contributes to the education of our students to international solidarity.
Strong links with Asia
The Université Catholique de Lille has a strong cooperation policy with Asia (more than 70 partnerships in 2024), in particular with the Philippines and India, with which various member institutions have established very close links, enabling significant student mobility and joint training projects. The Université Catholique de Lille is the French university that welcomes the largest number of Filipino and Indian students each year. Between 2008 and 2018, the number of Asian students hosted increased 9-fold.
Several partnerships in Australia
The Université Catholique de Lille has several agreements with Australian universities located in Sydney and Brisbane, respectively the largest and 3rd largest cities on the continent. We receive between 30 and 40 Australian students every year and about 90 students from UCL travel to Australia for studies or placements.
A sustainable international policy
In line with the Université Catholique de Lille‘s ecological transition, our faculties and schools have introduced measures to reduce the carbon footprint of their international development. We accompany our students in their international mobility projects to include sustainability and ecological sensitivity in their mobility plans.
The University accompanies its students towards more ecological and sustainable mobilities.
