The European University of Brittany (French: Université européenne de Bretagne), located in Rennes, France, was a center for higher education, academic research and doctoral studies located over multiple campuses in the Academie de Rennes. It includes a doctoral college that federates university institutes, engineering schools and research centres.

Its activities primarily focused on research through the establishment of thematic research networks, project teams, and the recruitment of international researchers. The valorisation of research was operationally handled by its component "Bretagne Valorisation". Research training, or doctoral training, was coordinated by the UEB's international doctoral college, which brought together the region's eight doctoral schools.

The European University of Brittany merged with the Université Nantes Angers Le Mans to form in January 2016.

History

Previous structures Several cooperation structures were created before the establishment of the European University of Brittany. Some of their activities were taken over by the UEB upon its creation or served as a basis for its setup.

Several institutions located in Rennes had been grouped since October 31, 2001 within the public interest grouping "Europôle". This structure was shared by the city's two universities, INSA Rennes, and ENSAR, and other schools such as IEP Rennes, ESC Rennes, and the ENS Ker Lann were permanently associated with its work. Europôle focused its activities on international exchanges. It was replaced by the Rennes International Mobility Center, one of the UEB's components, starting January 2009.

At the regional level, with local authorities, and following a proposal made in 1999 as part of preparing the state-region plan contract 2000–2006, the universities set up the "University of Brittany" association at the end of 2001. It brought together the presidents of the region's four universities, the director of the Brittany IUFM, and the president of the conference of directors of Brittany's grandes écoles. It handled training issues (continuing education, VAE, Doctoriales), the digital campus, and international relations networks. It was dissolved on August 27, 2009, with most of the association's missions transferred to the UEB. This association was complemented by another at a broader scale with the "Network of Universities of the Atlantic West" (RUOA), which grouped universities from the Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and Poitou-Charentes regions, established in early 2001.

Institutions also grouped around specific projects, such as Génopole Ouest, which associates research organizations (CNRS, Ifremer, Inserm...), the five western universities, university hospitals, and grandes écoles, the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Brittany, which associates the four Breton universities and several associate members, or the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, which associates for research in law, economics, geography, planning, and history on European issues the universities of Rennes 1 and Rennes 2.

Formation of the UEB

Following the general states of research in 2004, the establishment of structures to organize research was proposed in the form of pôle de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur. Initially, a PRES project centered around the city of Rennes was planned in 2005. However, the agglomeration's schools, keen to preserve their identities, and the universities of Brittany South and Brittany West, keen not to lose international visibility, expanded the project to the Brittany regional framework.« Interview : Bertrand Fortin », Place Publique, Rennes edition, November–December 2009, , The future founding members of the European University of Brittany, continuing the multiple collaborations already undertaken among them, set up a working group in 2006. The project began to take shape following a circular from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research dated , inviting higher education institution leaders and research organizations to submit PRES project dossiers to the ministry. After several months of work, the nine founding members determined the scope of action for the new entity.

The constitutive grouping of the PRES was created on , then on , it voted for the creation of a public scientific cooperation establishment. The research programming law promulgated on set the initial guidelines, and in the government announced the first nine pôles de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur, including the UEB. Its creation became effective by a decree on . The UEB then began to structure itself with the election on of its first president, Bertrand Fortin, then president of University of Rennes 1, unanimously by the board of directors. On , the UEB board installed its administrators, elected its vice-presidents, and voted its first budget. On , the grouping adopted a logo.

Development

Campus plan

The university applied in early 2008 for funding from the Campus plan, aimed at renovating French university real estate. The project was not selected in late May 2008 among the 12 winners for "excellence campus" endowments, but applied for funding under "promising campus" for its digital campus project. Funding was granted by the state at 30 million euros, supplemented in May 2009 by equivalent funding from local authorities, then in July 2009 an additional euros under the economic stimulus plan.

Grand Emprunt

Project maturation A response to the Grand Emprunt calls for proposals was built with the PRES University of Nantes Angers Le Mans starting in 2009. In October of that year, during a colloquium between leaders from Nantes and Rennes, higher education was designated as one of five cooperation areas between the cities. On , the presidents of the seven universities and two grandes écoles conferences from the two regions set up a coordination committee for Grand Emprunt calls. Tensions emerged, however, with grandes écoles and research organizations tempted to work through their own networks, balance between regions problematic, and the Nantes–Rennes axis temporarily favored over Pays de la Loire–Brittany.

The group represented the second group by annual PhDs awarded, the seventh one by members of the Institut Universitaire de France, the eighth one by researchers in "A" or "A+" labs by AERES, and fourteenth one by European Research Council funding and CNRS Gold Medal holders, overall the ninth one using these criteria.

Project results The Initiative d'excellence project was supported in Paris on by western elected officials« Campus d'excellence. Les élus de l'Ouest défendent leur projet à Paris », [Campus of excellence. Western politicians defend their project in Paris]. Le Télégramme, February 16, 2011, accessed February 16, 2011. but not retained in the first pre-selection of 7 projects. Project leaders reworked it for the second wave.Sophie Blitman, « Investissements d'avenir : l'Ouest compte sur la deuxième vague », [Investments for the future: the West is counting on the second wave]. Éducpro, March 15, 2011, accessed April 24, 2011. Several regional higher education actors considered merging the two PRES,Sophie Blitman, « Jean-Emile Gombert (président de Rennes 2) : « La fusion de Rennes1 et Rennes 2 est loin d'être exclue, mais elle n'est pas obligatoire » », [Jean-Emile Gombert (President of Rennes 2): "The merger of Rennes 1 and Rennes 2 is far from being ruled out, but it is not mandatory."]. Educpro, June 17, 2011, accessed June 20, 2011. and the project was marginal to models promoted, networking favored over mergers/concentrations.Camille Stromboni, « Universités perdantes à l'IDEX : "On s'y attendait un peu" », [Universities that lost out in the IDEX: "We were kind of expecting it"] Educpro, December 8, 2011, accessed December 9, 2011. Ultimately not retained, but leaders affirmed continuing western France research networking.Camille Stromboni, « Grand emprunt : il y a une vie après l'IDEX », [Large loan: there is life after IDEX]. Educpro, December 8, 2012, accessed December 9, 2011.

A technology transfer acceleration company project was carried by both PRES based on UEB's "Bretagne valorisation", leader in the field.Fabienne Guimont, « Guy Cathelineau (président du PRES Université européenne de Bretagne) : «Après les Investissements d'avenir, la priorité reste de soutenir les équipes d'excellence interrégionales» », [Guy Cathelineau (President of PRES European University of Brittany): "After the Investments for the Future program, the priority remains to support interregional teams of excellence."]. Educpro, January 11, 2012, accessed July 31, 2012. Funding obtained in . This 70 million euro endowment added to "Bretagne Valorisation"'s annual 2 million euro budget, becoming a simplified joint-stock company.

The results of the Equipex and Labex applications have yielded 34 projects for the region, with total funding of €423 million, including €120.05 million for projects involving only institutions in the region. The winning projects are concentrated in the fields of marine science and technology and information and communication science and technology, but also in the field of biotechnology and bioresources. Applications to establish a technological research institute were finalized in January 2012, with the government releasing €250 million over ten years for the IRT "B.com" focused on imaging and networks as well as e-medicine.

Expansion The group expanded on January 1, 2013, with the addition of ECAM Rennes, the European School of Art in Brittany, the School of Environmental Professions, and ESC Rennes as associate members.

List of presidents Three presidents succeeded at the UEB's head. The current PRES president is Pascal Olivard, who after a one-year mandate completing predecessor Guy Cathelineau's resigned term,« Pascal Olivard élu président de l'Université européenne de Bretagne », [Pascal Olivard elected president of the European University of Brittany]. Ouest-France, May 4, 2012, accessed May 4, 2012. was reelected for a full term in .« Pascal Olivard réélu à la tête de l'Université européenne de Bretagne », [Pascal Olivard re-elected as head of the European University of Brittany]. Ouest-France, May 27, 2013, accessed May 28, 2013. •  Bertrand Fortin2007–2010« Guy Cathelineau, nouveau président de l'Université européenne de Bretagne », [Guy Cathelineau, new president of the European University of Brittany]. Ouest-France, Rennes edition, May 3, 2010, accessed May 4, 2010.•  Guy Cathelineau2010-2012•  Pascal OlivardSince 2012

Operation

Budget The European University of Brittany and University of Bordeaux are the two PRES with budgets over euros (excluding Campus plan), 2010 budget euros. +2010 budget revenuesFundingamount in eurosMinistry subsidiesRegional subsidiesIlle-et-Vilaine department subsidyRennes Métropole agglomeration subsidyEuropean subsidiesMember institution paymentsVMP sales +Main 2010 expenditure itemsExpenditure itemamount in eurosRegional very high-speed networkDigital (UEB campus, services, content)Management-communicationInternational chairsInternational Doctoral College

Objectives and achievements

Doctoral training The university acts in doctoral training at several levels. It coordinates the eight Breton doctoral schools and created the "International Doctoral College of the European University of Brittany" federating them. Doctorates from member institutions bear the PRES and supervising institution seal. It monitors PhD insertion and some doctoral trainings.

It handles international mobility for French/foreign PhDs. Publishes "PhD Guide in Brittany" in French/English, manages incoming/outgoing mobility grants. Between the creation of the UEB and 2010, 103 grants were awarded, including 78 outgoing and 25 incoming.

Research activities