Student exchange programs

Montpellier has been twinned with Sherbrooke in Quebec since 2013, and each year offers 3 Montpellier students the opportunity to secure a summer job in the twin city, from late June to mid-August, promoting international mobility for young people and the discovery of another culture.

The City of Montpellier awards a €500 grant to each student recruited, enabling travel expenses to be covered.

Eligibility criteria

• Be a student in Montpellier
• Be between the ages of 18 and 26
• Have a B driving license
• Never have participated in a mobility program run by the Ville de Montpellier
• Have a valid passport (biometric) 6 months after return to France

Types of jobs offered

The jobs offered are temporary positions for students: 2 gardener positions in the maintenance, roads and green spaces department of the municipality of Sherbrooke, as well as a secretarial position.

Salary conditions

Pay is equal to the minimum wage in effect in Quebec ($630 per week).

Cost for the participant

• Travel costs Paris-Montreal / Montreal-Sherbrooke A/R
• Visa fees (140€ approx)
• Individual insurance 30€ approx
• Campus accommodation, rent paid by the twin city of Sherbrooke
• Intramural transportationmuros (bus) paid for by the twin city of Sherbrooke

Constitution du dossier de candidature

• Une lettre de motivation à l'attention de Monsieur le Maire
• Un curriculum vitae
• 1 photo
• Photocopy of a valid valid student card
• Photocopy of passport valid 6 months after return to France

Information and submission of applications

The complete application must be submitted to the Maison des Relations Internationales Nelson-Mandela or sent by email:

Béatrice COLOMBIER :
04 67 34 87 72 / 04 67 34 70 11
Beatrice.COLOMBIER@montpellier.fr
International mobility projects and programs officer
Mission Action Extérieures et Relations Internationales
Maison des relations internationales Nelson Mandela

As part of the twinning between Montpellier and Heidelberg and the "The International Summer Science School of Heidelberg" program run by the city of Heidelberg, a scientific internship is offered to two Montpellier high school students in Première or Terminale to spend four weeks on site, working with renowned institutes and laboratories.

The scientific program

The first week of the "International Summer Science School Heidelberg" begins with a day of orientation and presentation of the ISH program.

Participants from the same twin city will present a jointly-made talk (approx. 15 minutes in English), in which they present their city and country.

The second part of the first week consists of a one-day joint workshop in the ExploLearnLab and a 3-day joint workshop in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the Max-Planck-Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Max-Planck-Institute of Astronomy/House of Astronomy. These initial contacts with research techniques and theories pave the way for practical work in the institutes.

The scientific program proper begins in the second week, with 3-week internships at the institutes. Rigorous work and their own initiative are therefore required of participants.

The working language of "The International Summer Science School" Heidelberg is English, so very good knowledge of this language is a prerequisite for participation.

Pre-selected applicants will be interviewed, in English, by a member of the City of Heidelberg's International Relations team.

General program

"The International Summer Science School" is a program of the City of Heidelberg, in partnership with its twin cities, in agreement with the Scientific Committee. The program coordinators in Heidelberg draw up a general, cultural and leisure program and take care of the group outside their institutes and are interlocutors in case of questions or problems.

The entire group of ISH participants is accommodated at the ISG hotel in the Boxberg district. Breakfast and dinner are taken as a group at the hotel.

Participation costs for the International Summer Science School Heidelberg (ISH)

As part of the promotion of international youth exchanges and up-and-coming scientists in our twin cities, the ISH is funded by the City of Heidelberg and the participating Institutes. The City of Montpellier awards a 200€ grant to selected high school students.

Travel expenses are the responsibility of the participants.

The cost of participating in the program is around 300€: accommodation, half-board, internship and general program.

Eligibility criteria

• Have a very good level of English,
• Have very good results in the scientific field,
• Be 16 years old, be in Première or Terminale scientifique and have not yet started higher education,
• Reside in Montpellier or its Métropole.

To apply

• Download the application on the ISH website
• Letter of motivation (approx. 200 words) answering the questions: why is the applicant interested in scientific research and why would he/she like to participate in ISH.
• Prepare the last 3 report cards showing:
  • good results in the scientific field,
  • good knowledge of English.

Information and application forms Béatrice COLOMBIER :
04 67 34 87 72 / 04 67 34 70 11
Beatrice.COLOMBIER@montpellier.fr
International mobility projects and programs officer
Mission Action Extérieures et Relations Internationales
Maison des relations internationales Nelson Mandela

Each year, the City of Heidelberg offers a scholarship for a student from Montpellier, including a monthly stipend, an internship at the Montpellier house, access to accommodation and the possibility of completing an ERASMUS program or a German curriculum.

This scholarship amounts to €500/month net, valid from September to the end of July.

The program includes:

• A scholarship of €500 net per month (employee status with the Heidelberg Town Hall and contribution to the pension insurance fund)
• An internship at the Montpellier house (12h/week on average, variable depending on the cultural program)
• Possibility of an ERASMUS program or integration into the German curriculum (depending on the discipline, ECTS recognition must be checked in advance with the home faculty)

Language level required :

Students with a B2 language level can take part in normal courses and enroll in bachelor's or master's programs.

Procedure of the internship

The intern's work largely consists of:

• accompanying the team in preparations for the Maison program (information searches, contacts with artists or institutions...)
• inform Heidelberg residents about the City of Montpellier for a tourist or study stay
• sell products from the Metropole (wines, olives...)
• manage reservations for our guest room or cellar
• help the team with events throughout the year (Heidelberger Herbst, Fête interculturelle, Bal populaire, readings, concerts, exhibitions..)

Accommodation:

• Student rooms for rent at the Maison de Montpellier, right in the center of the old town, close to the university square and numerous faculties.
• Rent between €220 and €400/month depending on the room chosen.
• Rent is around 100€ below market rental rates, and in return residents agree to help prepare and run Maison de Montpellier activities (up to 10h/month in addition to internship hours).

Information and application pack available from Maison des relations internationales.

Note: this program has nothing to do with the Maison de Heidelberg in Montpellier.

Contact :

Béatrice COLOMBIER :
04 67 34 87 72 / 04 67 34 70 11
Beatrice.COLOMBIER@montpellier.fr
Chargée de projets et de programmes de mobilité internationale
Mission Action Extérieures et Relations Internationales
Maison des relations internationales Nelson Mandela