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    • A look back on the regional territorial workshops on Higher Education, Research and Innovation at UBE

    A look back on the regional territorial workshops on Higher Education, Research and Innovation at UBE

    On 3 June 2026, Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE) brought together more than 130 stakeholders from across the region in Dijon — including representatives of the State, local authorities, the socio-economic sector, research organisations, partner institutions, employees and students — as part of its first regional strategic co-construction workshops. The purpose of this work was intended to feed into the future Objectives, Resources and Performance Agreement (COMP) that UBE will submit to the ministry responsible for Higher Education.

    UBE, a young institution with clear ambitions

    Created by decree in December 2024 and operational since September 2025, UBE is an experimental public institution (EPE) born from the merger of twelve partners: CHU Dijon-Bourgogne, CGFL (Centre de lutte contre le cancer), ENSAD Dijon, École supérieure de musique BFC, ESAAB de Nevers, BSB, CESI, ESEO, ESTP, Sciences Po (campus dijonnais), and CROUS BFC. The institution hosts around 40,000 students and is supported by the FORTHEM European alliance, founded in 2017 with eight partner universities across Europe (Mayence, Palerme, Valence, Opole, Sibiu, Agder, Riga and Jyväskylä).

    Since its creation, UBE has structured its offer around four interdisciplinary graduate schools, three already established research units (IA, HCP, BIOMIND), and two units currently being developed (Performance, Vigne et Vin).

    Three co-construction workshops

    Organised into three thematic workshops, participants exchanged views on the major challenges facing Higher Education and Research (ESR) in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté: training and territorial attractiveness, research and innovation as a driver of national and European visibility, and student life as a recognised area of engagement.

    Workshop 1: Training and regional attractiveness

    Discussions in the first workshop, “Training and regional attractiveness,” first highlighted, in a context of transformation within higher education and budgetary constraints, UBE’s commitment to openness towards the socio-economic world and its role as a key player in employability, with high outcomes in professional bachelor’s degrees (84.6%) and master’s degrees (83.7%).

    Workshop 2: Research and innovation – national and European impact

    The second workshop, “Research and innovation – national and European impact,” highlighted UBE’s visibility and influence, its position in the Shanghai Ranking (600–700 worldwide, 20th in France), as well as the richness of its scientific activity driven by 1,600 researchers, 800 doctoral candidates, 30 laboratories and 29 technological platforms, reinforcing its role as a leading institution in Higher Education and Research (ESR) in Burgundy.

    Workshop 3: Student life – recognised commitment

    Finally, the third workshop, “Student life – recognised commitment,” highlighted the ways in which UBE acts as a structuring force in student life, with quality levels recognised as above national averages and those of major universities, while also identifying areas for improvement in mental health, student engagement and ecological transition, in a context of demographic pressures and major transitions.

    A co-constructed COMP built in trust with the rectorate

    The COMP — due to become fully operational in 2027 — sets out UBE’s strategy around three pillars: training and student life, research and innovation, and strategic and operational governance. The chosen approach — submitting a draft roadmap to regional stakeholders and gathering their contributions — is based on genuine collective intelligence in support of UBE’s regional and European ambitions. UBE highlights the quality of its relationship with the Rectorate of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté academic region, founded on trust and constructive dialogue in the service of the territory and national ambitions.

    “UBE is co-constructing its strategy with you. The roots of UBE are in Burgundy, of which it is the leading institution in the field of higher education and research. This responsibility entails pursuing an ambitious strategy that must contribute to the European and international visibility and attractiveness of its territory.”

    — Vincent THOMAS, President of Université Bourgogne Europe

    The contributions from the workshops will feed into the strategic roadmap submitted to the State authorities at the end of June 2026, with a view to concluding the COMP in September 2026.

    Find out more information in the official press release. (french only)