Policy and Strategy
Promoting Equality, Inclusion, and Diversity
Recognized for our commitment to social responsibility, we are constantly promoting equality, inclusion, and diversity through ambitious and often pioneering initiatives. Throughout the year, we organize awareness-raising, informational, and training activities to combat all forms of discrimination and violence.
As early as 2012, we established a unit dedicated to gender equality. AMU is also the first university in France to have established an independent counseling service, staffed by a psychologist, a lawyer, and a social worker, who are in turn supported by a network of partners (La Maison des femmes, the Defender of Rights, the Departmental Office for the Fight Against Discrimination, the Camps des Milles memorial site, and various associations).
We also support students with disabilities through a dedicated internal unit and office (BVE-MH) that assist them throughout their academic journey and provide the necessary accommodations to make their daily lives easier. Making equal opportunity a reality
40
number of students per year benefiting from the “social mobility” program
81%
Staff members feel good at AMU (2022 Well-Being Survey)
Making Equal Opportunity a Reality
Committed to building a more equitable and just society, Aix-Marseille University places equal opportunity at the heart of its mission. In a context where social inequalities remain a barrier to access and success in higher education, amU is implementing a proactive policy to guide students’ academic journeys, support those most in need, and open the doors to excellence for all talented individuals. By mobilizing its teams, partners, and specialized programs, the university is working to build a fairer, more inclusive, and more accessible university.
Equal Opportunity
Gender Equality: A Catalyst for Collective Progress
Drawing on its humanistic and inclusive values, the university lays new groundwork every day to promote gender equality and social inclusion. Equal treatment between the sexes is essential to fostering human progress and ensuring harmony within a community of 8,000 faculty and staff and 80,000 students.
Gender Equality
A Service for Respect and Equality That Is Unique in France
To address various forms of violence (including sexist and sexual violence, discrimination, and harassment), the university—which is deeply committed to this issue—has chosen to create a Service for Respect and Equality. This is an unprecedented initiative in the French academic landscape.
Inspired by the University of Montreal’s model, this independent service embodies a strong political commitment: to guarantee the entire university community—students and staff alike—a safe and supportive learning and working environment that respects everyone’s rights. It is part of a comprehensive institutional strategy for prevention, awareness-raising, and addressing situations of violence and discrimination.
Office for Respect & Equality
Working Toward Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a priority and a new phase in amU’s strategy. Since 2022, a dedicated department has been leading the development of the institution’s roadmap to address the challenges of our time and our region.
Each year, we carry out numerous awareness-raising initiatives for our staff and students. We also integrate sustainable development across our academic programs to educate non-specialists about this societal issue and train future experts.
At the same time, we have launched an energy and environmental transition initiative with ambitious goals: a 60% reduction in energy consumption by 2050 and an increase of more than 30% in the share of renewable energy by 2030. AMU advocates for a sustainable mobility policy (carpooling, charging stations, public transportation, and active transportation) and has established a Climate Council composed of university scientists and civil society experts committed to combating climate change. A waste management plan has also been established, which includes the AMU Recup’Elec initiatives that collect electrical and electronic equipment.
Missions and Interdisciplinarity
Fostering Solidarity
Creating an environment for professional success and personal fulfillment requires a daily struggle against student financial insecurity. AMU’s Solidarity and Student Initiative Development Fund (FSDIE) therefore offers financial aid to support students facing hardship as they build their professional and personal futures.
Since 2017, AMU has also been developing a network for access to healthcare, RESAMU. It brings together numerous doctors, located across the university’s main campuses, and ensures access to care and guidance for students throughout their healthcare journey, with no upfront costs. Finally, several community food pantries offer food items every day at prices ranging from 10 to 20 percent of market prices.
Portraits
Director, Aix-Marseille University