Europe is brought to life every day at Université Paris Cité

A European university by its very nature, Université Paris Cité celebrates Europe Month and the symbolic date of 9 May. In an international context that highlights more than ever the importance of unity and cooperation, Europe Day stands out as an essential event. This occasion provides an opportunity to showcase the diversity of pathways, alliances and mobility opportunities that shape the university’s European ambition.

European mobility: opportunities for everyone

At Université Paris Cité, Europe offers opportunities for development across all academic and professional pathways. Students, PhD students, academic and administrative staff: there is a European pathway tailored to every profile.

Three pillars underpinning the European dynamic

By combining the opportunities offered by the Circle U. European Alliance, The Guild network, and the Erasmus+ programme, UPCité provides a unique platform for exchange across the continent. These frameworks foster open-mindedness, the sharing of expertise, and the building of lasting connections throughout Europe.

The resulting mobility opportunities are diverse: they range from full-semester immersions and week-long stays to remote collaboration with European peers from Paris.

Learn more about UPCité's European alliances and networks

To achieve its ambitions, Université Paris Cité relies on complementary frameworks that structure its European action:

Circle U.: From alliance to European University. This alliance enables its 470,000 students and 64,000 staff members to cooperate across borders to build more sustainable and healthy societies. It offers a shared course catalogue, supports the internationalisation of teaching, and works with partners from civil society.
The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: advocating for research. This network brings together 23 European research-intensive universities. Its role is to represent the university’s voice before European institutions to influence higher education and research policies.

Erasmus+: the cornerstone of mobility. The Erasmus+ programme (EuRopean Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) promotes mobility between higher education institutions, offering students the opportunity to study and train in over 30 countries across Europe.

Voices of the European experience

→ International mobility

→ Learn more about Circle U.

→ Learn more about The Guild

International Relations Department:

→ internationalisation.iro@u-paris.fr

Staff Week was an exceptional opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with colleagues from university libraries across several European countries. These discussions were incredibly enriching moments of learning, debate, and sharing. We had the chance to discuss the current challenges facing academic libraries, share advice, and, where possible, find concrete solutions. The bonds formed during this week will undoubtedly be lasting. Watch Mariano’s interview

Mariano D’Ambrosio - Department of Mathematics, Library services

Staff Week at the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology in Târgu Mureș (Romania)

I’ve been lucky enough to have two experiences abroad: a year-long Erasmus in Manchester and a summer internship in Lausanne. I always dreamed of going away, but in medical school, the possibility of going abroad isn’t often discussed. It brought me so much — self-confidence and a perspective on other healthcare systems. Even though I love my studies in France, seeing other educational systems gave me a critical eye; it showed me that there are other ways to practice medicine, particularly in psychiatry. Listen to Romane’s interview

Romane Demazure, fifth-year medical student – Faculty of Health

Erasmus+ in Manchester (United Kingdom) and an internship in Lausanne (Switzerland)

Research involves so many drafts and having multiple Word documents open at once. While talking with Italian colleagues, I realised that the same themes I was studying existed in Italy as well. They mentioned certain Italian journals that trace the history of women’s rights there, and I thought: why not try a comparative approach? Ultimately, human connections are just as important as academic development—it’s an enriching experience that I would recommend 100%.

Anastasia Azar, PhD student at Doctoral School 262 – Faculty of Law, Economics and Management

The Guild Network’s Law Doctoral Workshop, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Working on the co-creation of courses with European partners offers a stimulating new approach to teaching. For us, as teacher-researchers, these collaborative projects invigorate our teaching practices and enhance the appeal of our programmes. It is also a valuable tool for preparing students for longer-term international mobility. Sophie Maisonneuve, Senior Lecturer in Sociology – Circle U Chair, Open Campus

Creation of a course as part of Circle U’s Open Campus

Bringing Europe to your screen

Thanks to the Circle U. alliance, Europe is now an integral part of university life, extending far beyond physical borders. The alliance’s nine member universities form a European campus offering innovative course formats and a wide range of mobility opportunities for students of all backgrounds.

These virtual mobilities allow students to experience multiculturalism and enrich their academic journey without leaving their home campus. For academic and administrative staff, this connected Europe is a direct driver of collaboration and pedagogical innovation.

The Circle U. Open Campus

A platform centralising the alliance’s entire educational offer to internationalise students’ curriculum through virtual modules or short-term mobility.

Learn more

The Circle U. Communities of Practice

Thematic networks that enable administrative staff to share best practices with their peers and to launch collaborative projects or job-shadowing initiatives.

Learn more

The Circle U. Academic Directory

An academic directory based on ORCID data to enable academics to identify and contact partners within the alliance.

Learn more

UPCité: A key player in the European Research Area (ERA)

Université Paris Cité is asserting its influence in Europe through its active involvement in The Guild. This network enables the university, alongside its partners, to conduct strategic advocacy in Brussels, ensuring that scientific excellence remains at the heart of future research policies. This commitment is also reflected in concrete collaborative initiatives, such as the Guild Law Doctoral Workshop on the Rule of Law, recently hosted by the University of Ljubljana.

Conferences tackling tomorrow’s major challenges

Through its networks and partnerships, UPCité drives European research forward by fostering practical collaborations on major societal issues, such as global health, democracy and climate change. This approach is clearly reflected in the work of Circle U., which draws on its members’ expertise to jointly develop responses to the challenges of our century and to share knowledge.

Find the upcoming thematic webinars below: