Coming to theUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc

It is with a twinge of sadness that the 2023-2024 academic year comes to a close for our exchange students 🥹

The goodbyes were a success at the GoodBye Party, which brought together over 60 international students on May 1! 🤩 An opportunity for them to share their experiences, reminisce and show off their talents during a successful karaoke session.🎤

Well done to all of you for having the courage to experience this immersion outside your own country, and thank you for choosing our university. We hope we've helped make your experience even better. ☺️

With the arrival of fine weather in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 80 international students fromUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc enjoyed the sunshine at the Walibi Rhône-Alpes theme park.☀️

This 100% fun event gave the students the opportunity to spend a moment of laughter, adrenalin and sharing, all together! A great way to unwind after midterms and celebrate the end of the semester for most.🥹

Thanks to them for their good humour and their smiles, it's always a pleasure to spend time with our students!

The day was an opportunity for many of our international students to try their hand at downhill skiing at a resort in the French Alps: Les Saisies.⛷️

Accompanied by a team of teachers from the University Sports Department, all levels were able to practice in all conditions: in fog, in snow, and finally in sunshine! ⛅️

Thanks to the 60 students in attendance for their determination, patience, and smiles. 🤩

Once again this year,Université Savoie Mont Blanc 's international students have pulled out all the stops to make this 26th edition a success! 🤩

🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire was the featured country for this first-ever event at Chambéry Savoie Stadium. ☀️ The sun shone down on a lively weekend of song, dance and even a rugby match! 🏉

See you next year for a 27th edition in the colors of Italy! 🇮🇹

Some of our international students were able to discover one of the most famous winter resorts in the French Alps last Saturday! 🌨️

Located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the village of Chamonix has plenty of charm in winter with its ancient buildings. After some free time in the picturesque village center, our students discovered the Mer de Glace glacier after a breathtaking ascent on the Montenvers train.🚂

🤩 Thanks to the 60 participants for their smiles and good humour!

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 The month of January is synonymous with new arrivals at the International Relations Department's reception desk!

This year, for the first time, a team challenge day was held at the La Féclaz ski resort, near Chambéry. ⛰️ The prize? A chance to win some of the region's finest cheeses and chocolates, and a guaranteed place in the local community!

Students from the three campuses competed in a variety of events organized by the USMB Sports Department to get to know each other better, with lots of fun and laughter!

After this day, we can assure you that good humor will be the order of the day during this semester at USMB.🤩

The approach of the Christmas vacations and the end of the 1st semester also heralds the end of the USMB experience for some students. 😭

🎉 To honor them and celebrate the end of these few months in France, the international students enjoyed an afternoon at the Chambéry ice rink, followed by a friendly drink in a local bar.

This was an opportunity for the Welcome Center team to talk to them about their experience, their future aspirations and their memories of the USMB.

As it does every year,Université Savoie Mont Blanc has teamed up with the City of Chambéry to offer students staying in Savoie for the Christmas vacations the chance to join a Chambéry family for a meal. 🍽️

This year, students have the opportunity to join a family 🎅🏻 for dinner on December 24, January 25 at noon, or on December 31 at night.

🎄 An opportunity for them to spend a wonderful holiday with welcoming families and discover French traditions!

To ensure that this operation runs smoothly, an evening meeting between the international students and their host families takes place in the Salle d'Honneur at the Hôtel de Ville in December: a great opportunity for sharing and exchanging ideas.✨

An evening dedicated to international audiences was held this year at Le Manège in Chambéry. The program for students and partners included Savoy folk dancing, a cocktail reception with a wealth of specialities, an entertainment village, games and dancing.

The Welcome Party is THE not-to-be-missed evening to celebrate the start of the new year at USMB!

Welcome toUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc !

This year's seminar took place in Courchevel, and between rafting, accrobranche, hiking and spa, the international students were able to discover the region, challenge themselves and get to know each other!

➡️ Testimonial :

Here's a testimonial from Igor, an international student atUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc !

➡️ Goodbye dinner - 27/04/2023 :

A farewell dinner at La Frite Dorée restaurant. Welcome back international students!

➡️ Discover Parc Walibi - 22/04/2023 :

The last outing of the academic year. The students enjoyed the attractions at Parc Walibi!

➡️ Hiking and cruising in Bourdeau - 18/03/2023 :

A great way to discover Savoie's cultural and natural heritage, with a cruise on Lac du Bourget followed by a visit to Hautecombe Abbey and a hike to Bourdeau.

➡️ Tour du Monde au Manège 2023:

This year's featured country was the Netherlands.

For a weekend, Chambéry took on the colors of the world. More than 80 students took part in this event, rich in sharing and a sign of interculturality.

International students showcased their traditions through tastings, entertainment, dancing and much more!

➡️ Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix - 11/02/2023 :

The international students discovered Chamonix and the Aiguille du Midi, which stretches skywards at 3,842 m altitude.

The program includes extraordinary views of the French and Italian Alps and snow-covered landscapes under the sun! 

➡️ Snowshoe outing and traditional Savoyard dinner:

For one evening, the international students had the chance to enjoy snowshoeing at dusk under an almost-full moon, to reach the Orionde lookout, from where they could admire the view of Lac du Bourget and the Chambéry basin by night.

After the effort, the comfort, with a traditional Savoyard dish from the Massif des Bauges: the Matouille. A cheese speciality, it has overtaken other typical dishes such as fondue in the hearts of students.

➡️ Integration weekend - 21,22/02/2023 :

The integration weekend took place in Courchevel. Students discovered downhill skiing and snowshoeing.

It's the perfect way to explore the region, get to know each other and get the semester off to a great start!

➡️ Goodbye dinner - 12/16/2022 :

A dinner to say goodbye to first-semester international students!

All-you-can-eat raclette and fondue at Le Savoyard restaurant. Students exchanged gifts at a Secret Santa.

➡️ Shared Christmas 2022:

Share a convivial moment with a French family and discover their traditions at Christmas dinner!

Press article from Le Monde des grandes écoles et universités

➡️ Château d'Avully and Yvoire visit - 26/11/2022 :

A guided tour in French and English of the Château d'Avully in Brenthonne and a visit to the village of Yvoire with its beautiful view of Lake Geneva!

➡️ Welcome party - 10/14/2022 :

An evening dedicated to new arrivals!

A Savoyard cocktail reception, dances from Burkina Faso, dancing and fun games: the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of international students at the USMB.

➡️ Integration seminar for international students - end of August 2022:

Welcoming new international students

The integration seminar took place at La Féclaz. Between French lessons, unusual activities (Via Ferrata, paragliding...), visits and hikes, the students discovered the region and shared some unforgettable moments!

➡️ Young Ambassadors Gala Evening - 07/04/2022 :

On Thursday April 7, 2022, the Young Ambassadors (JA) Gala evening was held at Le Manège in Chambéry, during which the awards for the Trophées Competition were presented.

For the occasion, Young Ambassadors, sponsors and partners came together from all the association's branches in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (Chambéry, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble and Valence), to attend the prize-giving ceremony and celebrate this wonderful adventure together.

We would like to congratulate all the young ambassadors for their fine projects, and especially the winners of the competition:

• Citizen Project category: Paula ROSCHEL and Matheus Vinicius PIACENTINI, Brazilian students, for their project to promote the cultural development of underprivileged young Brazilians through art.
• Promising Project category: Anja DINIC, a student from Serbia, for her Case Study Community project.
• Attractiveness Project category: Ismène KPEDJO, a student from Benin, for her project Sharing red gold between the AURA region and the Atlantic Ocean in Benin.

Special congratulations to our Burkinabe student from Polytech Chambéry, Ragnagnéwedé David KOLOGO, who wins the innovation project trophy for his Solar Electrifying Vehicule (SEV) project.

➡️ Lac du Bourget outing - 02/04/2022 :

Around sixty students accompanied by the USMB international relations welcome center took a cruise to visit Chanaz and Hautecombe Abbey. 🏰

After boarding at the major port of Aix-les-Bains, the students had the opportunity to sail on the largest natural lake of glacial origin entirely located in France, Lac du Bourget. The weather conditions weren't ideal, but that's how the snow-capped mountains enhanced the landscape.

The cruise continued along the Savières canal to Chanaz. In the village of Chanaz, the students discovered the process of making walnut oil as it was in the 19th century, in the small mill.

They then used their free time to visit village shops, such as the barge housing a beehive, where they learned more about honey, or a typical French brocante. Some also went to see the village church or explore the forest around the mill.

After lunch, the boat resumed its journey to the former princely necropolis of the House of Savoy, Hautecombe Abbey, where the students visited the abbey church to round off a day that delighted many.

Local French handicrafts are a very interesting facet of our culture that it's important to promote. Small villages are an integral part of many French people's lives, so we think it's a good idea to offer this kind of excursion to international students.

➡️ Chamonix outing - 19/02/2022 :

On Saturday, February 19, 2022, USMB's international relations department organized a day trip to the Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix Mont-Blanc) for the university's international students.⛰️

The 60 students and 3 chaperones (Nina Soufi, Séverine Quilliet and Amandine Bouchet) admired the beauty of the snow-covered Alps (including Mont-Blanc) at an altitude of 3,842 metres!

We were extremely lucky to be able to climb the Aiguille du Midi by cable car, with a visit to the museum areas, the panorama and the step into the void. Indeed, in the week leading up to the event, France's highest cable car was closed due to bad weather, so Saturday was the first day the Aiguille du Midi could open.

The scenery was breathtaking. The students loved it, and it was well worth braving the cold (-14°C, felt -20°C) to see it. As the altitude can take its toll, the students were free to descend whenever they wished to visit the town of Chamonix.

Chamonix and Mont-Blanc are iconic places around the world, but they can be difficult to get to without a car, and the cost of activities can be high. Through us, students have the opportunity to see these places with ease.

➡️ Integration weekend at La Féclaz - January 29 and 30, 2022.

➡️ Welcome party - 21/10/2021 :

The USMB and the city of Chambéry organized a welcome party for international students 🎉

➡️ Integration week in Savoie - August 25-31, 202.