Georges Siffredi, president of the Department of Hauts-de-Seine and Philippe Gervais Lambony, president of the University of Nanterre, met on April 7, on campus, to sign a new partnership agreement. Scheduled for the period 2020-2025, the signature had not yet been made because of the health crisis.
The two institutions are therefore officially moving forward hand in hand, for the students. But as the President of the University reminded us, the links between the Faculty and the Department are not new, “this is not a new story, a certain number of places on the Nanterre campus are marked with the support provided by the Department of Hauts-de-Seine. I’m thinking of the theatre, of some of our amphitheatres…, he said, adding: I’m really happy to be part of the continuity of this relationship. “A relationship that has lasted since 2013. A feeling shared by the President of the Department, for whom the University represents “an essential factor of attractiveness”.
The signing took place last Thursday, in the amphitheater of the Milliat building. A building which was not chosen at random since it hosts the UFR STAPS (sciences and techniques of physical and sports activities). However, the two new objectives of the convention are precisely centered on sport and youth. As a reminder, Alice Milliat is a pioneer of women’s sport, since she is known as the first leader of women’s sport in the world. During the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, she campaigned for access to sports for women and organized the first Women’s World Games in Paris in 1922.
“Access to” is precisely what Philippe Gervais Lambony insisted heavily on when signing the new agreement. “What we are committing to here, basically, reflects priorities that are common to us (with the Department, Editor’s note). The first, the simplest, the most obvious is the action we have and can take towards our students. An action that will take place in different fields, which constitute student life, because the president of the Faculty affirms it: “the development of student life is also access to forms of socialization, to forms leisure, forms of learning…”
The agreement has therefore been designed around five main axes. First of all, “promote access to culture and green heritage, in particular through the Valley of Culture Hauts-de-Seine”, can we read on a press release published by the Department. Then, “promote the development of the University by promoting digital uses”, an action which has already been implemented during the Covid, with the video-capture equipment of a dozen classrooms, recalls Georges Siffredi .
Third axis mentioned in the press release, “to build tools for intervention and evaluation in social and educational matters. Thus, a student solidarity and aid fund for refugee students was created. “We have to be attentive to these social issues,” says the president of the Department, for whom the Covid crisis has revealed “certain fragilities” of young people, especially from a psychological point of view.
Finally, the agreement provides for “encouraging the practice of sport on the territory” and “making youth a priority axis for shared intervention”. An action was precisely carried out in this direction, the same day, in the sports center of the university.
A center which, reminded the president of the University, will soon be renovated, “thanks to the recovery plan and the CGER”.
Indeed, all day on April 7, students were invited to go to the Giga La Vie Forum to talk with people from the medical profession. They could also benefit from free screenings of all kinds (hearing, diabetes, cancer, etc.), because access to care is also one of the challenges of this agreement.
Associations were present to talk with young people about addiction, precariousness, equality and even sexuality. At the end of the day, the organizers were happy to have welcomed approximately 500 students.
A figure which may seem ridiculous when you know that the campus hosts 34,000, but which “is not insignificant”, according to the president of Hauts-de-Seine.
At the exit of the Forum precisely, we meet a group of students in third year of Economics. It was Marie who saw a message on the subject on the University’s Twitter account and who dragged her friends along.
“I mainly came because they distribute menstrual panties. (as part of the “Toutes culottées” campaign led by the Department and the Hauts-de-Seine Institute in partnership with the Blooming brand, Editor’s note)
I’ve wanted one for a long time, but it’s expensive and I didn’t know where to buy one. », confides Olympe.
Inside, Yanis, a medical student and employee of the Department runs the “drug addiction prevention” stand. A word “which scares”, considers the young man, regretting that few students came to see him. Yet he affirms, “everyone smokes cigarettes, even alcohol…”. For him, who does not remember having ever had prevention during his schooling, it was important to be there.
On another stand, two volunteers represent the association “Le mouvement du nid”.
“We support people who are victims of violence or who practice prostitution, but we also do prevention. “, explains Roman. Whether in the colleges and high schools where they work, or here at the university, the volunteers debate with young people on “why prostitution is an extension of patriarchy” and insist on the notions of “healthy relationships” and “consent “.
Anne-Marie admits to us that she was surprised by the speeches of certain students with whom she spoke. “In terms of sexual violence and consent, they don’t seem more informed and aware than the middle school students I meet…”. Basically, there is still work to inform, prevent and protect our youth.
However, it is “they who will shape our society of tomorrow” reminded Georges Siffredi when signing the agreement. He even said that he did not want to resign himself: “to the fact that there would be ”sacrificed youth””, before ending his speech by addressing the President of the University directly: “It is up to us to act so that it is not; we will be at your side for that”.
PHOTO CREDIT: LA GAZETTE DE LA DEFENSE
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