CIRAD signs the strategic memorandum of understanding between the partners in I-Site Muse

Institutional news 19 October 2021
On 8 October 2021, at the New Africa-France Summit, CIRAD signed the strategic memorandum of understanding between the partners in I-Site MUSE. The MOU formalizes the shared determination of the 16 I-Site member establishments to work together to structure its research, training through research, European and global strategy, and cooperation activities.
Le Cirad signe la convention d'entente stratégique des partenaires de l’ I-Site Muse © Cirad

© Cirad

On 8 October 2021, CIRAD CEO Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin signed the strategic memorandum of understanding between the partners in the Montpellier University of Excellence (MUSE) I-Site, alongside the University of Montpellier, the project leader, and 14 other partners.

 

For CIRAD, joining forces with a major university with a view to building impressive projects was an obvious choice. CIRAD has had people within MUSE since the very beginning of the project, and they will remain there, to foster partnerships and useful science.
Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin
CIRAD CEO

The signing was held alongside the New Africa-France Summit in Montpellier, a major part of which was given over to higher education, research and innovation.

MUSE is keen to tackle three major challenges for the 21st century, in tune with the UN 2030 agenda:

  • contributing, through research and training, to feeding a global population set to top 9 billion by 2050
  • managing natural resources sustainably
  • tackling chronic and emerging diseases.

It is working to build a long-term privileged partnership between the scientific world and the private sector (competitiveness clusters and businesses).

Centring on the University of Montpellier, MUSE is:

  • nine national research organizations (BRGM, CEA, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, INRIA, INSERM, IFREMER, IRD);
  • an international organization, CIHEAM-IAMM;
  • two grandes écoles (Institut Agro, École nationale supérieure de chimie de Montpellier - ENSCM);
  • two public teaching hospitals (CHU Montpellier, CHU Nîmes);
  • a private hospital (Institut du Cancer de Montpellier - ICM).

With the support of:

  • More than 150 private partners: SMEs, major groups, competitiveness clusters (Derbi, Aqua-Valley Eurobiomed, Mer Méditerranée, Optitec, Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation and Trimatec) and NGOs
  • and four international partner universities (UC Davis, Heidelberg University, Wageningen University & Research, University of Barcelona).

See also