OPPORTUNITY

Calls for applications

ALL

STUDENT(S)

• S2 International Online Courses – Expand your horizons internationally without leaving home. Registration open until December 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.. All information is available on the student portal.

DOCTORAL STUDENT(S)

STAFF

• UNITA Café.Tuesday,November 17, 2026,from 12:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., featuring an introduction to Opport’UNITA. Meet in Building A 110 at Polytech, Bourget-du-Lac campus.

Upcoming UNITA events at USMB

ALL

STUDENT(S)

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Upcoming events at UNITA Partners

STAFF

• BIP Partners Coming soon

STUDENT(S)

• BIP Partners Coming soon

Discover UNITA's intensive hybrid programs, an international mobility format combining:

• online activities
• and short stays abroad.

These programs cover a variety of topics such as the environment, the circular economy, languages, literature, cultural heritage, and food. All students are eligible to apply, regardless of their field of study, and can earn ECTS credits.

Funded by Erasmus+, this program offers a flexible and enriching international experience.

Students participating in the intensive program receive Erasmus+ funding on a flat-rate basis:

Find the upcoming BIPs on this page, under the tab "Upcoming partner BIPs." 

Melissa Alioui, a USMB student who participated in a BIP on renewable energy in Turin:

Academically, I was able to learn about other types of energy besides solar energy, thanks to guest speakers and site visits (...). On a personal level, I met students from other universities with whom I have stayed in touch.

Why participate in a BIP?

This type of program is an enriching experience in several ways:

• You will develop your knowledge in a subject area that interests you.
• You will acquire skills and expertise related to working in multicultural teams and mobility.
• You will be able to improve your foreign language skills (Romance languages and English).

Marine BOUILLET, USMB student who participated in a BIP on European citizenship in Portugal:

I took part in the Hybrid Intensive Program in Portugal on European identity and citizenship. I found out about it through an email from our director Claire Salmon, who told us that this program could be interesting for our studies. I study political science and international relations.

Academically, this training was beneficial as I was able to deepen my knowledge of European directives and other related topics.

On a personal level, it has allowed me to open myself upmore to new people and new cultures.

I have very fond memories of this program, which was a truly memorable experience. It is a real opportunity to deepen your knowledge of a subject in another country at virtually no cost.

If you have any questions, please contact: mobilite-unita@univ-smb.fr

Are you a teacher and would like to organize a BIP?

BIPs provide an enriching and international learning experience, combining flexibility and pedagogical innovation.

To find out how to set up this educational experience, please refer to this document: 6 steps to creating a BIP

Enjoy a unique professional experience abroad in a rural setting with UNITA! (places limited)

The UNITA alliance is developing a program of UNITA immersive stays and internships, aimed at promoting mobility while contributing to the development of rural and mountainous areas, which are characteristic of the partner universities.

Whether in the fields of tourism, communication, social and cultural development, or urban planning, the internship and immersion program offerings are varied and aimed at students from a variety of fields.

These opportunities for mobility abroad are offered by a wide range of organizations such as associations, companies, research centers, cultural centers, and public administrations.

The application campaign is open for 2026

Read the testimonial from:

• Mathilde Chevallier, who had an experience in Italy.
  

If you have any questions, please contact: mobilite-unita@univ-smb.fr

USMB staff and doctoral students, whether tenured or on contract, may carry out:

• mobility for training, teaching, or prospecting at a European institution that is a member of Erasmus+.

Read Fabrice De Poli's testimonial: here

• research mobility research

Thanks to the UNITA Alliance, research mobility for doctoral students and researchers is facilitated within partner universities. Researchers and doctoral students wishing to undertake mobility at UNITA universities are free to apply throughout the year (compared to two application sessions per year for other universities).

In addition, financial assistance may be granted during calls for research mobility projects, with priority given to doctoral students in joint supervision programs, including UNITA joint supervision programs.

Read Grégory Chatel's testimonial on infrastructure sharing

• Immersion and job shadowing with UNITA partners

Would you Would you like to visit a UNITA partner to better understand how its administration works ?

You can apply at any time of the year and benefit from for your travel expenses under the Erasmus program (STT grant). You must meet the eligibility criteria and follow the procedure specified in the link below. For travel undertaken as part of the UNITA alliance or to a UNITA partner, applications can be made throughout the year, not just on the dates indicated (allow a minimum of two months between application and departure).

See the procedure for staff mobility.

International online courses are a program that allows students to attend one or more courses taught entirely remotely by partner universities in the UNITA alliance :

Courses are delivered 100% remotely, in the local language or in English.

In addition to the intercultural, taking an international online course can help you prepare for your semester or year abroad, strengthen your language skills, or acquire specific knowledge.

How do international courses fit into your curriculum?

All international courses taken online are eligible for ECTS credits after assessment. For each virtual mobility course, there are three options:

• As a substitute : an international online course online course replaces a course in your USMB curriculum. In this case, authorization and validation by your academic advisor are required.
• Optional: you must inform your academic advisor that you are taking additional courses. However, the ECTS credits obtained will not be counted; the jury may nevertheless assess their value.
• If you are an international student on a study mobility programs at USMB : the online course can be either integrated into your study contract: : the request must be approved by your university's academic advisor; or it can be taken as an option, without recognition of the associated ECTS credits.

UNITA offers free training courses and workshops in educational innovation for you, teachers at USMB.

Registration is open until one week before each session. The training courses or workshops, lasting 2 to 6 hours in one or more sessions, generally take place in the afternoons. The language of instruction is primarily English, but some workshops will also be offered in French or Spanish.

At the end of each training course, a certificate of attendance is issued by UNITA.

Find the training catalog with all the information here

A COIL (Collaborative International Learning at UNITA) allows you to incorporate an international dimension into your courses.

A “COIL” (Collaborative Online International Learning) is a type of online learning that allows you to incorporate an international dimension into your courses without the need for physical travel.

By adapting all or part of your course to include a period of educational collaboration between you and a colleague from the alliance who comes from a different country, and/or a period during which international students work online in a synchronous or asynchronous manner . This is an innovative approach that allows students and teachers to enjoy a meaningful intercultural experience.

Here is a brief overview of the COIL program: Unita Collaborative International Learning

What is intercomprehension? 

Intercomprehension between related languages (IC) is a language acquisition methodology that enables rapid learning understand several foreign languages from the same language family.

In practice, this involves developing:

• cognitive strategies that enable learners to capitalize on the linguistic knowledge they already possess, enhancing it naturally and quickly.
• bridges between languages, enabling receptive and mutual understanding of neighboring languages, and the ability to interact with people who speak them.

Why promote this approach?

UNITA is an alliance that has chosen to bring together five Romance-language countries: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Romania. It is therefore an ideal setting for developing the intercomprehension method and facilitating interaction and mobility.

When welcoming foreign students to classes, raising awareness among teachers of all disciplines about the intercomprehension method makes it easier for students to access courses taught in French.

• For students:

Since the start of the 2021 academic year, USMB has been offering intercomprehension courses, which are available in the same way as foreign language courses. They can therefore be integrated into your educational program, depending on your background. Ask about the possibility of taking these courses when you register for your program. For more information

Other short courses and one-off events held throughout the year will give you the opportunity to discover and practice this method. They will be published on social media and in the Student Area.

• For administrative and teaching staff:

UNITA offers training for staff and teaching personnel. Short training courses are offered regularly to provide an introduction or practice intercomprehension. Find out more

Yannick Vidal, educational engineer in the APPRENDRE Department at USMB, took part in an introductory course on intercomprehension during theSMILE event.

The principle of intercomprehension appealed to me; I was curious to see what it involved, how it worked. It enabled me to develop exchanges since I was in a group with people from other universities and other countries. I think it's not just professional, it also brings personal benefits. 

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture launched the video game Romanica to teach intercomprehension in Romance languages in a different and fun way.

It is an app that you can download for free from your smartphone's app store. All languages are available, from Portuguese to Romanian and Corsican to Occitan, as well as Spanish, Italian, Catalan, and—of course—French!

For staff:

Every year at the end of June, USMB offers a week dedicated to language learning. Called "SMILE", this staff week is open to USMB staff and its international partners. In June 2023, it brought together more than 230 participants , including 99 from USMB. The courses offered were: English, Spanish, Italian, French as a foreign language, intercomprehension, and intercultural communication.

Staff and students alike: you have the opportunity to travel abroad from time to time to take an intensive language course.

For staff members, there is a platform that lists all the staff weeks organized in Europe. Feel free to check it out. You can usually receive an Erasmus training grant to participate in one of these events. Find more information here: http://staffmobility.eu/

Micro-certification definition: "micro-certification" refers to the recording of learning outcomes achieved by a learner following a small amount of learning (modular learning).

These learning outcomes have been assessed based on transparent and clearly defined criteria. Learning experiences leading to micro-certifications are designed to provide learners with specific knowledge, skills, and competencies that meet societal, personal, cultural, or labor market needs.

Micro-certifications belong to the learner and can be:

• shared, they are transferable.
• stand alone or combined to form larger securities.
• supported by quality assurance that complies with the standards agreed upon in the relevant sector or field of activity.

Learners can earn ECTS credits, a digital badge, or a digital certificate.

UNITA MICs is aimed at different target learners:

• exchange students
• teachers in intercomprehension
• administrative staff and teachers, lifelong learners
• undergraduate students
• doctoral students
• academic communities
• citizens, especially rural populations

Currently existing UNITA MIC certifications (October 2023)

2 MICs in IC and Romance languages

• Elements of Intercomprehension
• Introduction to intercomprehension

Currently available: European identity & citizenship

Title: "Distance online course on European citizenship" (bachelor's and master's degrees)

4 separate modules (2 out of 4 modules must be chosen to earn 1 ECTS):

• Economy
• History
• Law
• Sustainable development

As part of the UNITA program, dual-degree programs allow students to pursue two courses of study—one at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc and the other at one of its partner universities—in order to earn two recognized degrees.

The UNITA Label certifies that the academic program offers a learning experience that meets common European standards, thanks to collaboration among international partner universities and the development of innovative, interdisciplinary, and student-centered educational activities.

Special attention is given to multilingualism, inclusion, sustainability, and transnational cooperation.

For students, this recognition represents significant added value. It enables them to develop international and cross-disciplinary skills, enhance their employability and professional adaptability, and build their ability to work effectively in intercultural environments.

• Second call for applications for the HORIZON 2020 MSCA-Cofund Choral program.

Theapplications are open until January 15, 2025, with 14 positions for 25 research topics at 7 universities in the UNITA alliance (University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, University of Turin, University of Zaragoza, University of Brescia, Public University of Navarra, and Transilvania University of Brașov) for a fully funded 3-year thesis, starting in the fall of 2025.

Find all the information here

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Among the 12 UNITA partners, there are now more than 40 theses under joint supervision.

Other opportunities are likely to be offered in the coming years. Information will be available in the current calls section and by email.

Portrait: two UNITA doctoral students

UNITA has launched six thematic hubs to structure research within the alliance:

• Green energy – contact at USMB: Benoit STUTZ benoit.stutz@univ-smb.fr
• Circular economy and environment – contact at USMB: Dominique KREZIAKdominique.kreziak@univ-smb.fr and Laurent DUCLAUX laurent.duclaux@univ-smb.fr
• Cultural heritage – contact at USMB: Marc-Philippe BRUNET philippe.brunet@univ-smb.fr
• Overall health – contact at USMB:Laurent Messonier laurent.messonier@univ-smb.fr
• Inclusive societies – contact at USMB: Emma BELL emma.bell@univ-smb.fr and Julio ZARATE julio.zarate-ramirez@univ-smb.fr
• Digital transitions – contact at USMB: Kave Salmatian kave.salmatian@univ-smb.fr

The aim of these hubs is to bring together researchers from the 12 UNITA partners in order to develop new research programs related to the chosen themes.

Access to research infrastructure : reunitaresearchinfrastructure.i3a.es

The main objective of the UNITA Recipes for Internationalization project is to promote the internationalization of degrees awarded by UNITA member universities, whether they are full or associate partners. This will be achieved by providing program managers with the ingredients they need to internationalize their courses, staff profiles, and/or students.

In a context where:

– International and intercultural skills have proven their value for student success, professional integration, and personal fulfillment in a globalized world.

– Quality assurance and evaluation agencies are increasingly assessing institutions' capacity to develop the internationalization of programs.

… the ultimate goal of the project is to increase opportunities for all students to develop their international and intercultural skills.

 Collaborative activities are organized by internationalization advisors to jointly develop and evaluate innovative tools aimed at increasing the educational offering in terms of internationalization. The project will develop a Recipe Book for Internationalization, a tool for self-assessment of the level of internationalization of training programs, and training materials. Training and coaching sessions will also be organized, as well as several events to disseminate the project's results.

These tools will be developed to take cultural differences into account, break down geographical barriers, and promote internationalization "at home" and internationalization for all. In addition, the fact that the Recipe Book and self-assessment tool for internationalization, as well as the training sessions, are accessible or provided in local languages will make it possible to reach more people and offer better access to the information and advice provided.

Project type: Erasmus+ project (Key Action 2)

3-year project: Started on December 1, 2023

Full partners:

USMB (coordinator), UPNA, UNIBS, UniTBv, IPG

Associate partners:

UNIZAR, UNITO, UVT, UBI, UPPA, HES-SO,

Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University.

ARACIS (Romanian National Evaluation Agency)

HCERES (French National Evaluation Agency)

Budget: €400,000 from Erasmus++, a budget from MOVETIA for HES-SO+ co-financing from partner institutions.

The first elections for the UNITA Student Assembly were held in the spring of 2025,to elect 8 representatives per university.

The next elections will be held in 2027.

Contact: representant-etu-unita.dri@univ-smb.fr

Founded in 2017, ESN Foreigners Chambéry has been working for eight years to connect international students and help them integrate into Chambéry by organizing events such as Blabla du Globe and outings in the AuRA region to help students discover the area.

This support will continue to grow with the award ofthe ESN label, which will enable the association to develop larger-scale projects at the national level.

Find current initiatives here

Are you looking for contacts at UNITA universities to set up a new project? The UNITA office at USMB can help you find the right people to talk to.

unita.office@univ-smb.fr

UNITA is leading a new project to strengthen entrepreneurship in the alliance's territories: innovation capacity building in UNITA.

It will allow you to:

No calls for projects are currently underway, but stay tuned for regular updates.