The fourth edition of the Student Services Information Forum will be held from July 4 to July 8 from 12:00 to 18:00 at the Espace Méditerranée of Nice-Acropolis. Organized by the City of Nice, it is the essential meeting for new high school graduates, gathering in one place all the essentials of student life. Two new features this year: pre-registration at the university and a collaboration with the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis to show the city’s commitment to higher education.
Inaugurated yesterday by the Mayor of Nice, Mr. Jacques Peyrat, and the President of the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis (UNSA), Mr. Albert Marouani, this forum is a unique event for students and new high school graduates. The City has invested 50,000 euros to fund the entire event. The university in turn provides 24 computers for the graduates, with unlimited internet access and educational staff to help them pre-register. The venue brings together all essential services for students: housing, health insurance, banks, transportation, jobs, internships, and leisure activities. Additionally, the forum organizes daily workshops and conferences around key themes of student life: international mobility, building an academic career, and IT environment.
In 2005, the city of Nice opened its doors to 25,000 new students. The University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis leads in multidisciplinarity in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region. Today it has nearly 1,280 teaching researchers. However, it has been seen as a poor performer: its academic results are mediocre, its reception facilities are outdated, and its housing is insufficient.
Recently, Nice has been trying to improve the reputation of its education. It took the opportunity provided by the government’s “State-Region Planning Contract” to invest in significant facade renovations. The Saint-Jean d’Angely campus is undergoing renovations: it is expanding, adding a new library, and a Human Sciences Space. The future tramway route is being designed around university hubs. The public transport fare has been reduced: the Community of Municipalities now offers a flat rate for trips from Villeneuve-Loubet to Menton. Starting next semester, the annual bus pass in Nice will be reduced to 150 euros. The allocation for modernizing university housing is more generous in 2006… A vast program to enhance the image of the City of Nice, especially to foreign students.
