Université de Lorraine

The University of Lorraine is a public institution of higher education and research located in the heart of the Lorraine region (Grand Est, France). It brings together nearly 60,000 students and around 7,100 staff members, including 4,000 academic and research staff, across 38 sites in Lorraine.

The University covers all major scientific fields (science, technology, health, law, humanities, and social sciences, etc.) and stands out for its multidisciplinary programs and high-level research. It comprises 60 research laboratories and over 1,900 PhD students.

Interdisciplinarity and international openness are at the core of its mission. The University of Lorraine promotes exchanges between disciplines and fosters synergy between education and research. It develops a wide range of international activities (double degrees, Erasmus programs, joint PhD supervision, etc.), hosts 9,500 international students, and ranks as the leading French university for outbound mobility. Its cross-border position naturally makes it a hub for cooperation with neighboring European countries and for international collaborations.

Thanks to its geographical position, the University of Lorraine plays a key role within the cross-border network of the University of the Greater Region (UniGR). It is also a partner in the European project UniGR-CIRKLA (Interreg Greater Region 2021–2027), whose main objective is to establish a cross-border center of expertise bringing together civil, educational, scientific, and industrial stakeholders.

The University of Lorraine is actively involved in regional policies aimed at promoting local circularity (reuse of materials in buildings, mapping of material flows, repair and recycling centers, etc.) and contributes to the development of an innovative training tool on the circular economy for Master’s-level students. To this end, it mobilizes its laboratories — notably in geosciences, process engineering, materials science, and economics — to build cross-border expertise dedicated to the sustainable management of metals and materials across all economic sectors within the UniGR-CIRKLA project.