04/11/2005 : Lille Catholic University has a worldwide perspective, committed to serving the community and a mainspring of regional development.
An interview with Mr Jean-Charles CAILLIEZ, Vice President in charge of research.

What are the characteristics of the University?
Founded in 1875, it’s a private and multidisciplinary University, federating 6 faculties, and over 20 colleges and institutes. Every year, it teaches 16,000 students and delivers one-third of the total number of the post-graduate degrees and diplomas in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. Its governing structures are very unusual, with 400 well-known personalities, 150 of whom are company directors and members of different boards of directors.We are entrepreneurs in education and research, working in collaboration with companies and society, and involved in the search for meaning and direction for the community. The University offers its services to the population, with its hospital complexes with a total of 800 beds: Saint-Vincent de Paul in Lille and Saint-Philibert in Lomme. Further characteristics include a very good cultural programme, a dynamic student community, with 300 clubs and societies, a large majority of them committed to some form of social or humanitarian action.

What about the research activity?
Research activity is carried out by 40 teams, of which one-third are nationally recognised. We cover the whole spectrum, from the most basic research to the most specialised projects in response to companies’ needs. Some specific themes are particularly emphasised : Microsystems and nanotechnology, electrotechnology, medical clinical research, microbiology and eco systems chemistry (soil, air, water), theology, religious studies…
on a campus that promotes dialogue between disciplines, we pursue collaborative research in many different fields: health economics, environment and health, bioinformatics (living modelling), medical ethics, economic ethics, political and religious history...

How is research funded?
More than 80% of our research is self-financing. Furthermore, sponsorship research contracts enable existing laboratories to continue their work in hand as well as successfully undertaking several new projects every year. A great sponsorship campaign has been launched for the period 2005-2010 seeking support from companies on the theme: “Ensemble, innovons”(Let’s innovate together)

What are your plans for the future?
The University is working on the creation of a development centre with the towns of Lomme-Lille, Capinghem and the Lille Urban Area Council, concerning the comprehensive support of patients and elderly or disabled people: education, research, creation of medical and social structures. Other projects concern the environment: (modernisation of the marine biology laboratory at Ambleteuse); creation of teaching and research chairs (like a recent creation by the Foundation Norbert Ségard) ; creation of « open laboratories » which enable our students to get trained in research and be financially enabled to consider research Masters degree courses as well as professional specialisations.