International research

Centrale Lyon has developed an extensive network of international academic and industrial partners, enabling it to deploy its research in collaborations that go beyond the borders of France and Europe.

Several types of collaboration are favoured:

 

  • The creation and perpetuation of international laboratories
  • Participation in collaborative research projects in Europe and internationally
  • The development of co-tutored theses in Centrale Lyon and tutelles abroad
  • The establishment of facilities for hosting international researchers
     

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International laboratories

Centrale Lyon's international research policy is structured around International Research Laboratories (IRL) and Laboratoires Internationaux Associés (LIA). Centrale Lyon is the sponsor of 2 IRLs and 7 LIAs

International collaborative research

European projects

Centrale Lyon maintains a constant presence in European research by being involved in the European Union's framework programs for research and innovation since 1984. Since 2021 the laboratories have been particularly involved in Horizon Europe, the framework program for the period 2021-2027 that succeeds Horizon 2020. These programs, operating through calls for projects, aim to fund research, innovation and technology transfer on themes identified as priorities by the European Commission. Most of the time, the projects selected involve partners from several European Union member countries.

31
number of projects involving Centrale Lyon researchers during the Horizon 2020 program
Find out more about Horizon Europe

International projects

Centrale Lyon is also active in international research projects, either directly with industrial partners or as part of Hubert Curien partnerships. The latter are part of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs' policy of supporting international scientific and technological exchanges, and are implemented with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

Find out more about Hubert Curien partnerships

Co-tutelle de thèse

The cotutelle de thèse internationale is a scheme that promotes the mobility of doctoral students by developing scientific cooperation between French and foreign research teams. Cotutelle students carry out their research in the two countries concerned, under the supervision of two thesis supervisors. Each institution recognizes the validity of the diploma (grade de docteur for the French university and equivalent diploma for the foreign university).
 

Registration procedures

Eligibility criteria are the same as for a conventional thesis, and registration takes place in three stages:

  1. Apply to Centrale Lyon, the relevant French doctoral school and the equivalent organization abroad
  2. Submit a cotutelle agreement
  3. Register administratively at both universities: the agreement exempts the student from payment of tuition fees at one of the two institutions, and specifies the conditions under which social security cover is provided in each of the countries.

 

 

Hosting international researchers

A European label for researcher mobility

Centrale Lyon promotes the hosting of international researchers, including doctoral students, in order to develop international academic partnerships and enhance scientific excellence.

Since 2007, Centrale Lyon has been committed to a progressive approach to the recruitment, career and mobility of researchers, notably by signing the European Researcher's Charter and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

As a sign of the quality of this approach, in 2020 the Establishment was awarded the European HRS4R label "Human Resources Strategy for Researchers" issued by the European Commission. This label encourages researchers to deploy a human resources management strategy and to develop their practices in line with the recommendations of the European Charter for Researchers and the Recruitment Code.

Consult the European Charter for Researchers Consult the Code of conduct for the recruitment of researchers

A dedicated space to support international researchers

To provide the best possible support for international researchers and doctoral students, they benefit from a shared facility supported by the University of Lyon: the ULYS space. The latter offers support for their entry and residence procedures in France: residence permits, housing, health coverage, insurance, children's schooling, etc.

Find out more about ULYS