INTERVIEW WITH THE LEADERS OF THE IDIL 2024 GRADUATE PROGRAM

LEARNING THROUGH RESEARCH WITH IDIL

Interview with Agnès Fichard-Carroll and Mathieu Sicard

Since the start of the 2022 academic year, nearly 80 students have had the opportunity to pursue research-based learning through the Idil graduate program. The program features courses taught in English, hands-on experience in laboratories, and various academic units that foster a multidisciplinary approach to education, all designed to address current societal challenges.

The Idil tracks were launched at the start of the 2022 academic year. What does this program entail?

MS: The goal of the Idil program is to train students from various disciplines through laboratory-based learning. Students spend six months a year in the laboratory; courses are taught in English, and the programs focus on fostering interdisciplinary approaches.  Idil also aims to increase the number of international students at the University of Montpellier by making its programs more attractive.

AFC: The challenge was to develop a program with a strong interdisciplinary focus, while remaining grounded in a specific major: students will indeed graduate with a degree in a specific major, but they will have followed a personalized path in which openness to other disciplines and their concepts is a key component.

As we begin this second academic year with Idil, can you tell us how many students are enrolled in this graduate program?

MS: As for the master’s programs, approximately 80 students are enrolled in the Idil program at the M1 and M2 levels, across 10 tracks and an equal number of different academic specializations. As for the engineering track, it includes more than 20 students. The goal was to have 30% international students who had not previously studied in France—a requirement for receiving an Idil scholarship—and we have met that goal, largely thanks to Idil’s presence at international fairs. Today, we have students from the United States, Japan, and Brazil who are writing to us to request information about the program and find out how to apply.

Do you have a typical profile of Idil students?

MS: Overall, we are looking for students who are truly motivated by learning through laboratory research and who possess a strong ability to adapt—a skill that is essential for pursuing an international and interdisciplinary academic path. For example, they must be able to manage the courses shared across different programs by consulting with the Idil team, which supports them. Students must be flexible in organizing their schedules, as conflicts are bound to arise. It’s impossible to coordinate the schedules of 10 programs across 5 different departments.

AFC: I’d like to add that while students need to be curious and flexible, the program—due to its cross-component nature—has also required a significant commitment not only from the teaching teams but also from the administrative teams: it was necessary to refine not only the academic curriculum but also the procedures specific to each UEI. This is an opportunity for us to congratulate them on the work they’ve accomplished: the difficulties have been resolved, and this inevitably has a positive impact on the students’ academic journey.

On that note, how are students supported throughout their academic journey?

At AFC, there is already an IDIL team of four people—a project manager, two instructional designers, and an administrative manager—who are doing a remarkable job of supporting not only the students but also the teams at the main campus and in the various departments.

MS: In addition to the Idil team, students are supported by two individuals with research experience: a tutor and a mentor. The academic advisor is available only during the first year of the master’s program (M1); this role is typically filled by a faculty member who guides students in selecting their coursework, in addition to their laboratory work. The advisor also supports students with their personal M1 project, a bibliographic and methodological study that prepares them for their laboratory work.

And what is the mentor's role?

MS: The mentor, who works with students in the M1 and M2 programs, is a researcher or a faculty member with a research focus; this person will supervise the student in their laboratory, much like a traditional internship but in a more in-depth manner. This is true not only in terms of duration—since Idil students spend six months in the lab during their M1 year—but also in terms of commitment, as this internship is not merely a research placement but also an immersive experience in understanding laboratory life: Idil students attend meetings and seminars to gain insight into the daily life of a researcher. Beyond that, the mentor is also committed to deepening the student’s general knowledge of their discipline, particularly through guided reading of articles followed by focused discussion sessions. This helps round out the student’s general knowledge of their field within the laboratory setting. In fact, the mentor’s work is recognized as equivalent to 20 hours of tutorial time—not for supervising the internship, but for teaching right at the heart of the laboratory.

Does the student keep the same mentor during the first and second years of the master's program?

MS: That’s entirely possible, since students can potentially stay in the same lab during their first and second years of the master’s program—and why not continue there toward a Ph.D., since there are Idil doctoral contracts available?

AFC: Indeed, a student could remain in the same laboratory for a total of five years. Since the IDIL program is research-based, it made sense for it to include doctoral contracts that also have an interdisciplinary focus[A1] .

How are student-mentor pairs formed?

MS: At the beginning of the year, during the interdisciplinary summer school, the mentors will present their research projects, and the students will be able to choose. This marks the start of the program; every evening during the summer school, there are interdisciplinary lectures on topics such as “management and ecology” and “science policy and political science.” These lectures are delivered in English primarily by researchers from Montpellier but also by invited international researchers. It’s a very interesting time when all backgrounds come together and everyone asks questions from different perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise. There is also a “team-building” day where IDIL students participate in activities designed to help them integrate. This summer school concludes with a gala at the Jardin des Plantes.

Does this summer school help students identify more closely with Idil and “feel” like part of Idil?

MS: Yes, it’s important because throughout the year they spend most of their time with students in their own disciplines! To help them feel a sense of belonging to the Idil graduate program, there’s also a year-round event called the “Idil House Cup.” Idil students from different tracks are grouped together in different houses and take part in challenges, such as collecting as much trash as possible on the beaches, or visiting the Moco—which is also a way to introduce them to cultural experiences. The Idil team also organizes events at least once a month that give them a chance to get together.