Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

The Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (Lyon 1), Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (Lyon 3), the Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne (Saint-Étienne) and the École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon) are working towards the establishment of a new experimental public institution , the Target University.

This project, called Université de Lyon 2020, relies upon the great potential of its founding institutions and upon the possibilities offered by the Ordinance of December 2018. Sitting on strong ties in the regions of Lyon and Saint-Étienne, this Target University is placed directly under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI).

The COMUE Université de Lyon is the university cooperation structure of the Lyon Saint-Étienne site. As of today, it brings together 12 members and 25 associated institutions. Its mission is to coordinate the actions of higher education and research institutions in the framework of the site’s policies, in connection with the relevant ministries and local collectivities. It thereby contributes to the global appeal of the site and the capacity of the region to respond to the requirements of students and the socio-economic environment.

The Université de Lyon 2020 will be the spearhead of the site on an international basis. It is a new type of institution in terms of academic projects and structure, organised around PFRs (training and research divisions). Its mission is to attract the best students and the best teacher-researchers on the basis of the offer of training programs and research activities that are recognised on an international level.

The creation of the Université de Lyon 2020 will, of course, have an impact on the COMUE, with the trajectories of the two structures being linked and having to adhere to a compatible calendar and organisation, in order to take their respective missions into account. The COMUE’s role is to coordinate the policies of the Université de Lyon 2020 site, for the latter to be the spearhead of the site on an international basis.

The ambition of the Excellence Initiative (IDEX) is to provide France with 5 to 10 university sites that are capable of competing with the best universities in the world. The IDEX label is issued by an international panel after a call for projects launched by the Commissariat général à l'investissement (CGI) and financed by the Investments for the Future Program (PIA).
During the first wave of calls for projects, the Lyon Saint-Étienne site did not obtain the label but received an endowment for the 2012-2017 period: the Lyon Saint-Étienne Future Program (PALSE - Programme avenir Lyon Saint-Étienne).

A consortium of 12 members of the Université de Lyon submitted a new project in the framework of the second wave of the call for projects. In 2017, the IDEX label was obtained, with a probation period of 2 years.
The Lyon Excellence Initiative (IDEXLYON) project involves 2 components:

• An action component that reworks and develops the PALSE initiatives for training and research, the role of which is to develop the site’s appeal;
• A structuring component, the precise objective of which is to develop a new type of world-class institution.

• The year 2020 constitutes the starting point of a trajectory in a transformation and innovation dynamic in all the dimensions of the Université de Lyon 2020 (academic and organisational). It will then be possible for other institutions to integrate the new structure.
• The new range of training programs will be proposed in 2021.
• The year 2025 constitutes a consolidation stage for the integration of the structure with the first autonomous contract signing of the new institution. This will also be a point of review for the adaptation of the perimeters of the structure and of its components.
• The project aims to stabilise the new structure by 2030.

The founding institutions decided to seek out support for the construction of the Université de Lyon 2020. After a public call for offers, the contract was allocated to the companies Plein Sens and Siris Academic. These two companies have recognised experience in the field of higher education and research in France.

These firms will be offering methodological and technical support for the Target University’s co-construction works with the communities and all stakeholders of the different institutions.