International Agreements and Programs
To promote the international mobility of its students, researchers, and staff, Lyon 1 University has established nearly 140 inter-university cooperation agreements with institutions in more than 30 countries, as well as several dual-degree programs. Lyon 1 University relies on a strong network with active participation in international consortia, such as ORA (Ontario, Canada), OREGON (USA), USTH (Vietnam), PROSFER (China), and ILIADE (India). Through these balanced strategic partnerships and targeted thematic networks, Lyon 1 University relies on qualitative indicators to strengthen the synergy between education, research, and outreach. This strategy reinforces its international influence. You can view the complete list of agreements, dual-degree programs, and other initiatives below.
Inter-university agreements are concluded between Lyon 1 University and a foreign university and cover all common departments between the two institutions. They allow students to spend a semester or an academic year studying at Lyon 1 University while being exempt from tuition fees.
University-Hospital Agreements are agreements concluded between Lyon 1 University, a foreign university, and the university hospitals affiliated with those universities (Hospices Civils de Lyon or HCL for Lyon 1 University). They allow students to spend a semester or an academic year studying at Lyon 1 University (in all disciplines common to both institutions).
In medicine, they also allow for the admission of graduate students to the HCL.
Strategic areas of cooperation OUTSIDE EUROPE:
· Indo-Pacific region: China (Prosfer), Japan, Vietnam (USTH), South Korea, India (ILIADE)
· North America: Quebec (Canada), U.S. East Coast
· Africa: Cameroon
Program Details
China: PROSFER
In September 2025, Lyon 1 University joined the PROSFER program (Sino-French Program for Education and Research), an academic initiative aimed at strengthening scientific cooperation between France and China. It was launched in 2002 and involves several French institutions.
The program allows outstanding Chinese students to apply for a master’s degree program in France, combining courses taught by French faculty with laboratory work at ECNU.
Selected students participate in joint doctoral programs in various fields, and student exchange opportunities are also available. This program contributes to the internationalization of educational pathways and the promotion of academic exchanges between the two countries.
India: ILIADE
Lyon 1 University is also a member of the Franco-Indian ILIADE campus (innovation through plants and AI for India and France).
This project is led by the University of La Réunion, in partnership with the Universities of Lyon 1 University , Lyon 2, and Poitiers, as well as four Indian partners: the Vellore Institute of Technology, the Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, and the National Center for Biological Sciences.
This university cooperation project aims, through a cross-disciplinary and innovative approach, to offer dual master’s or doctoral degrees in the fields of natural product biotechnology and AI for health data, thereby strengthening bilateral France-India cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This region is a hotspot for the spread of infectious and metabolic diseases, making it a key area for global health preservation.
United States: OREGON
The OREGON program brings together Lyon 1 University, Lumière University – Lyon 2, Jean Moulin University – Lyon 3, the Catholic University of Lyon, the Institute of Political Studies – Sciences Po Lyon, and Oregon State University and its IE3 Global (International Education, Experience, Employment) program.
Oregon State University has formed a consortium with other universities in Oregon and in the other states that make up the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America in order to maximize opportunities for member students to participate in student exchanges with OSU’s international exchange partner universities.
Canada: ORA
The ORA university exchange program is an initiative carried out in collaboration with 10 institutions in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and 11 universities in Ontario. Launched in 1991, this program facilitates the exchange of full-time students between the two regions as part of a regular exchange program.
Vietnam: USTH
The USTH Consortium (Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam) focuses on five key areas: Biotechnology and Pharmacology, Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies, Materials and Nanotechnologies, Aeronautics and Space, and Water, Environment, and Oceanography.
The goal is to promote cooperation between the French higher education and research institutions that are members of the Consortium and USTH, as well as to support the training of future leaders. The Consortium coordinates five jointly accredited master’s programs at USTH and the establishment of dual bachelor’s degree programs.
The doctoral schools of the Consortium’s members are involved in research development, particularly through jointly supervised dissertations. Each member has committed to the USTH project with the aim of helping to develop a high-level university in Vietnam. The Consortium currently has 29 members, comprising the universities, grandes écoles, and research organizations most active in advancing this cooperation.