The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region

The Auvergne Rhone-Alps Region

is recognised as one of the most dynamic regions in the higher education and research sector, with 8 universities, 2 COMUE (Community of Universities and Institutes), an association of institutes, 40 Grandes Ecoles, 14 competitiveness clusters, 12 research bodies (see the key figures: create a link towards this article).

Within this landscape, AGERA covers the whole territory of the new merged region. Collectively speaking, it represents its 40 member institutes and works alongside the Region for all questions related to higher education and research.

The Region provides strong support to AGERA for the deployment of its projects.

It also supports schools in the implementation of their international strategy (mobility grants) and in the development of training courses through apprenticeships.

A new regional blueprint for higher education and research and innovation is currently under development. It will set out the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps guidelines in these fields and will define its principles of action.

Working groups have been set up in order to exchange with the field stakeholders both within the scope of theme-based meetings and site meetings.

Collaboration with the CESER

Regional Economic, Social and Environmental Council) for the organisation of symposiums on the themes of innovation training and industrialisation.

The fourth edition of the annual symposium, in November 2015 focused on the institutes of tomorrow and the professions of the future.

These symposiums pave the way for an analysis and a debate on this promising theme within the landscape context of a large Auvergne Rhone-Alps Region that needs to restructure at the level of its industries and improve its capacity to work as a network.

Hence, AGERA takes action alongside the CESER so that the Grandes Ecoles from the Auvergne Rhone-Alps Region contribute to the analysis and sharing of best practices (acts that can be downloaded under the Symposium, Studies heading (see the link))

Partnerships with the Direccte

(Regional Department for Companies, Competition, Consumption, Labour and Jobs) in Auvergne-Rhone-Alps and Carsat(Pension Fund and Health in the Workplace) Rhone-Alps

AGERA piloted a study in 2013, with the support of the Direccte and the Carsat on the theme of “Integrating Health and Safety in the Workplace into the training programmes for Engineers, Managers and Architects”.

In 2016 AGERA took part in a regional project on the theme of “Health and Quality of Life as a Form of Leverage for Global Performance in Companies” still called “the human factor, the key element of competitiveness in companies”. AGERA provides its contribution in the Competences part of the project that corresponds to the training of students from higher education institutes who will be the Managers of tomorrow in companies. Above and beyond questions of Health and Safety in the Workplace, the study focuses on the question of Quality of Life in the workplace.

Partnership with the UIMM

(Union for the Metallurgical Industry)

AGERA has received support from F2I (Fund for Innovation in Industry) to promote the industrial and scientific excellence career pathways of the different regions with Lecturer-Researchers from the schools that are part of the network. Academic seminars are organised for the academic staff alongside the organisation of administrative affairs. The approach proposes periods during which participants alternate between the school and companies in order to favour better adaptation to the corporate world and technology transfers.

Within this framework, AGERA has developed partnerships with the UIMM Loire and the Métallurgie Rhodanienne.