What happens when colleagues from neighboring European universities sit down to compare practices, exchange ideas and reflect on shared challenges? In the framework of the EUNICE alliance, the University of Mons (UMONS) and Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF) have been doing exactly that—turning staff mobility into a driver for cooperation.
As part of its mission to foster cooperation, innovation and mobility across Europe, EUNICE supports initiatives that bring university staff together beyond borders. Building on their geographical proximity and shared challenges, UMONS and UPHF launched a series of bilateral visits to encourage dialogue, mutual learning and the exploration of new opportunities for joint initiatives.
Since 2024, ten staff mobilities have been organised between UMONS and UPHF, enabling administrative staff to meet their counterparts and gain new perspectives on their professional practices. More recently, these exchanges focused on sustainability and quality management—two strategic areas at the heart of institutional development.
Through meetings, discussions and on-site observations, participants not only shared expertise but also built lasting professional connections. This article highlights the experiences of four staff members involved in these exchanges and shows how EUNICE helps transform mobility into meaningful cooperation.
Sustainability in Practice: Learning from Each Other
In May 2025, sustainability professionals from UPHF travelled to Mons to exchange views with their counterparts from UMONS. Ghislaine Denisselle, Head of Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility at UPHF, and Bertrand Bridier, Environmental Policy Engineer, met with Alan Libert, Environmental Manager at UMONS, among others.
For Ghislaine and Bertrand, the two UPHF representatives, the exchange was driven by a sense of proximity, both geographical and institutional:
“Our universities are relatively similar in size, population and location, so we thought it would be interesting to learn about each other’s transition projects and achievements. In addition, the International Relations Office and the EUNICE Office, which facilitated the initial contact, greatly helped in organizing this meeting.”
From the UMONS perspective, the visit was conceived as an opportunity for open discussion in a concrete setting. Alan recalls that the exchange took place largely outdoors, offering a concrete look at how sustainability is embedded in campus life:
“The day took place in one of the parks of the city and included a walk around campus, where we discussed biodiversity.”
This informal setting naturally supported in-depth discussions on shared challenges. As Ghislaine and Bertrand explain:
“We discussed how the university is organised in terms of environmental issues: mobility, biodiversity, energy, carbon footprint, etc. We also discussed teaching students about ecological transition.”
The exchange was also an opportunity to compare approaches and share inspiring initiatives on both sides. UPHF shared several initiatives:
“On our side, we were able to promote the frescoes intended for staff, our structure with the master plan, and the national framework of the DD&RS certification label for Higher Education and Research.”
From his side, Alan focused on hands-on experience:
“I presented how we manage green spaces to make them more welcoming to biodiversity. I also introduced several projects that we have implemented in collaboration with various non-profit organisations.”
Beyond practical insights, this visit quickly led to concrete follow-up actions, as Alan tells us:
“We invited Ghislaine and Bertrand, along with their colleague in charge of green space management, to a nature walk organized with the non-profit organisation ‘Natagora’ on one of our campus sites. We discussed best practices, as well as the challenges of managing green spaces in a more biodiversity-friendly way. UPHF is now considering certifying their campuses, either with Natagora or another organization.”
For Ghislaine and Bertrand, the exchange reinforced key takeaways:
“We saw that it is possible to promote biodiversity even in highly urbanised areas and that working in collaboration with the Heritage Department of the university is essential for the success of environmental projects.”
While coming from different institutional contexts, both teams highlighted the same key benefits of the exchange: the importance of stepping back from everyday practices, the value of peer feedback and the inspiration gained from seeing sustainability implemented in different ways.
Mons city center
Valenciennes - Mont Houy campus
Quality Management: Comparing Approaches
Quality management was another key area explored through these bilateral exchanges. In December 2024, Cécile Roselle, Head of the Quality Management System at UPHF, welcomed Sabine Soetewey, Quality Manager at UMONS, for a visit focused on sharing methods and experiences.
For Cécile, the exchange was both a natural continuation of previous European collaborations and an opportunity to explore quality management practices from a new institutional perspective. She explains how the initiative came about:
“During a meeting of Administrative and Financial Managers, I attended a presentation by the International Relations Office (IRO) on the possibility of inter-university exchanges within the framework of EUNICE.
I then approached the IRO to express my desire to engage in an exchange with UMONS about quality. I have worked with Belgian colleagues in the past as part of a European INTERREG project and have fond memories of that experience.”
The visit to UPHF brought together several teams involved in quality and management support and took place at UPHF’s new “Ronzier” campus in the city center:
“We welcomed our UMONS colleagues at the new UPHF ‘Ronzier’ site in the city centre. This was followed by presentations from several colleagues from the CAP team (Internal Control and Training Programme Management), and presentations from the Quality Manager at INSA Hauts-de-France (National Institute for Applied Sciences) and myself. My colleagues from the CAP team wanted to join me to discuss management support practices and not just the quality approach.”
The exchange allowed both institutions to share and compare concrete practices. Cécile highlights the practices shared by UPHF and those discovered through UMONS:
“On one hand, we were able to share our process-based management approach, our risk mapping and our methods for evaluating teaching and training. On the other hand, we discovered how the results of teaching evaluations at UMONS are made available online to students.”
Beyond the exchange itself, the discussions quickly translated into concrete reflections on future developments at UPHF:
“The practices for welcoming and supporting students will inspire us in the context of our future Public Services+ certification. Similarly, we plan to publish the results of surveys based on the same model.”
This exchange confirmed the value of cross-border dialogue in strengthening quality management practices. By comparing approaches and sharing experiences, UMONS and UPHF opened new perspectives and set the stage for continued collaboration, with a return visit to be organized this year.
From Mobility to Lasting Cooperation
The experiences shared by staff from UMONS and UPHF clearly illustrate how EUNICE turns mobility into meaningful, practice-oriented cooperation. By creating spaces for dialogue, peer learning and reflection, the alliance enables staff to step outside their daily routines and engage with shared challenges from a European perspective.
Beyond individual takeaways, these meetings contribute to building lasting connections between institutions. These experiences also send a clear message to staff across the EUNICE alliance: meaningful European cooperation doesn’t always start with large-scale projects—it often begins with a conversation between colleagues.
