May 2, 2023
During April 17 – April 21, 2023, a delegation from EPOKA University visited the University of Montpellier in France in the framework of the Erasmus+ Teaching and Training mobility between EPOKA University and the University of Montpellier. The representative team of EPOKA University comprised Dr. Mirela Alhasani (Dubali), Lecturer of Applied Linguistics and Member of the Internationalization Committee of EPOKA University, Dr. Shkelqim Hajrulla, Lecturer of Applied Mathematics in the Department of Computer Engineering, Ms. Endi Tirana, Specialist at the International Relations Office, Ms. Jona Kaso, Representative for the Dean of Students Office at EPOKA University.
The University of Montpellier dates from 1180, with the oldest practical medical school in France and second in Europe. Heir to the Faculty of Medicine in 1220, it was one of the first universities to appear in the West. In 1289, Pope Nicholas IV officially created the University of Montpellier, grouping together teaching programs in medicine, law, literature, and theology. Close to medicine, the study of medicinal plants became more and more widespread in Montpellier with the creation of the Jardin des Plantes in 1593. The city was considered the capital of botany until the 18th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Faculty of Law was created in 1808, and the Faculty of Sciences in 1809. During the 20th century, the Faure Law (November 12, 1968) gave birth to three new universities:
As of September 2012, the two universities, Montpellier 1 and Montpellier 2 merged; hence the University of Montpellier was born on January 1, 2015. With 17 educational components, 73 research units, and more than 48,000 students, it becomes the 6th largest in France. It ranks Top 3 in the World ranking for Ecology (Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects since 2017) and 1st among French Universities (Reuters 2019 ranking of most innovative Universities) for its academic excellence in teaching and research.
During the mobility, the EPOKA team was hosted at the rectorate and headquarters historical building of the University of Montpellier by academic and managerial hosting team members Prof. Nadia Lagarde, Prof. Celine Fabre, Manon Barbedette, Stéphanie Thiessé, Dr. Maija Kaisa Hirvonen, Geoffroy Lesage. Open lecturers were given by the academic staff of EPOKA University on constructive mathematics applied to computer/software engineering students and internationalization via English medium instruction at the International Laboratory for Learning (ILE) at the University Institute of Technology (IUT) Montpellier-Sète of the University of Montpellier. ILE, as a venue for the talks about Internationalization at Home (I@H) activities, gathered academic and administrative staff and students from Montpellier University to learn more about the internationalization platform and institutional strategy of EPOKA university also to share influential insights in terms of teaching, research, mobility, and students' life from both French and Albanian perspectives with the clear envisage of deepening our mutual institutional cooperation.
Given its excellent performance, the University of Montpellier is a member of the CHARM-EU European University Alliance since 2019, alongside eight other prestigious universities in Europe. CHARM-EU is the combination of universities from different European countries with different cultures, traditions, and academic assets aiming at improving the quality, international competitiveness, and attractiveness of European higher education funded by the EU and an academic initiative strongly endorsed by the French government. Dr. Julien Lorentz and Dr. Vanessa Vigano, the co-chairs of the pilot MSc program Charm EU: For Global Challenges in Sustainability, showed the Charm -EU Hybrid Classrooms to the EPOKA visiting team. They displayed the challenges and lessons learned via this pilot graduate program in detailed presentations sharing their best practice with EPOKA members. The pilot Master's descriptor: https://www.charm-eu.eu/toolkit/charm-eu-masters-global-challenges-sustainability-module-structure. For more detailed info, refer to https://www.charm-eu.eu/toolkit/charm-eu-masters-global-challenges-sustainability-module-structure
Finally, but not least importantly, EPOKA staff visited the Students' Residence and had a meeting with Ms. Amal Qobba, the Vice-Rector for Students' Affairs. This visiting day was dedicated to how the university guaranteed students' rights, its financial, social, and emotional support, and its leisure sports facilities on the modern campus. EPOKA representatives also highlighted the founding pillar of EPOKA University to be a pioneering student-centered university in Albania to meet students' professional and social needs and to equip students with cutting-edge knowledge and values for an open civic society.
This was the first visit held between two institutions in the frame of the Erasmus+ exchange program. This teaching and training mobility held at the University of Montpellier marked the successful beginning of a joint academic path for the two institutions to be further reinforced through other exchanges among staff and students of EPOKA University and Montpellier University.
