Udice French Research Universities


The Udice Group is a self-selected association of thirteen public research universities and their seventeen Grandes Écoles in France. The group is headquartered in Paris and was established in 2020. It is the partial successor to the CURIF Group created in 2008 and dissolved in 2020. It is chaired by Michel Deneken, president of the University of Strasbourg.
Nine of these prestigious research universities have received funding from the French government's “Investments d'avenir” program under the “Initiatives of Excellence” scheme.
The Udice Group is home to one-third of France's doctoral students, two-thirds of the world's most cited French scientific publications, a total budget of €6.5 billion, and eight university hospital groups. It is a network comparable to what already exists in the USA and Europe. In the UK, the equivalent of the Udice Group is the Russell Group; and in Germany, it is the nine universities to which the government has awarded the label of excellence.
WWW udice.org

History

In, at a press conference, the ten presidents of French research universities announce the creation of the Udice Group, bringing together four Paris universities - Sorbonne University, Paris Cité University, Paris-Saclay University and PSL University - as well as Aix-Marseille University (amU), Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 (UCBL), Côte d'Azur University, University of Bordeaux, University of Strasbourg and Grenoble Alpes University. Similar organizational models exist in most major European countries. They enhance the attractiveness of national universities, and play a key role in integrating the missions of research, education and innovation.
On June 19, 2024, the Udice Group was extended to include three new members: the University of Lorraine, the University of Montpellier and the Polytechnic Institute of Paris.

Economic contribution

According to a study by Biggar Economics, commissioned by the Udice Group, these ten universities contribute 40 billion euros in added value and over 380,000 jobs to the French economy.

Activities

In November 2021, the Udice Group signs a cooperation agreement with Bpifrance. The aim is to amplify the creation of Deep tech startups from research laboratories. The Deep tech plan operated by Bpifrance targets 500 Deep tech startups a year by 2030.
In March 2022, the Udice Group is organizing its first forum in Marseille, entitled “Research universities, the driving force behind a Europe of science”.

Position statements

In March 2020, the presidents of the Udice Group member universities alerted the media to student conditions during the pandemic.

Members

Founder universities

  1. Aix-Marseille University
  2. Sorbonne University, Paris
  3. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  4. * CELSA Graduate School of Communication and Journalism
  5. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
  6. Côte d'Azur University, Nice
  7. University of Bordeaux
  8. Paris Cité University
  9. University of Strasbourg
  10. Grenoble Alpes University
  11. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  12. * Grenoble Institute of Technology
  13. * Grenoble School of Architecture
  14. * Grenoble Institute of Political Studies
  15. Paris Saclay University
  16. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  17. * CentraleSupélec
  18. * École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay
  19. * Institut d'optique Graduate School
  20. * AgroParisTech
  21. * and its associate universities:
  22. * University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
  23. * University of Évry
  24. PSL University, Paris
  25. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  26. * Paris Technical Institute of Chemistry - PSL
  27. * National Academy of Dramatic Arts - PSL
  28. * École Nationale des Chartes
  29. * École Normale Supérieure - PSL
  30. * École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL
  31. * Paris School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry - PSL
  32. * Paris School of Mines - PSL
  33. * Paris Observatory - PSL
  34. * Paris Dauphine University
  35. University of Lorraine, Metz, Nancy
  36. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  37. * Lorraine Institute of Technology
  38. ** Nancy School of Mines
  39. ** Telecom Nancy
  40. ** etc.
  41. University of Montpellier
  42. Polytechnic Institute of Paris
  43. * and its Grandes Écoles:
  44. * École Polytechnique
  45. * Telecom Paris
  46. * Telecom SudParis
  47. * ENSTA Paris
  48. * ENSAE Paris
  49. * École des Ponts et Chaussées