On April 22, the Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa prof. Janusz Kapuśniak participated in an online meeting with HCERES - High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education experts who assessed the quality of research, the level of education and internationalisation of the University of Le Mans in France. Other representatives of the universities who have been cooperating with the University of Le Mans for many years were prof. Torsten Meier, Vice-President of the University of Padeborn (Germany), prof. Natalya Yakovyshena - Directrice du Centre des programmes francophones, Université Alfred NOBEL, Dnipro (Ukraine), prof. Said Ouaskit, University of Hassan II of Casablanca (Morocco), prof. Nadine Tsague, Directeur des Programmes Internationaux des Sciences et Technologies de l'Innovation, Institut Universitaire de la Côte (Cameroon) and prof. Walha Khaled, Responsable des relations internationales Faculté des Sciences de Sfax TUNISIE (Algeria).
The meeting was an excellent opportunity for prof. Kapuśniak to provide brief information about the long-term cooperation between Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa and the University of Le Mans:
„Le Mans University (formerly University of Maine) has been a partner of the Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa (formerly Pedagogical University in Czestochowa) for over 20 years. We established cooperation, mainly in the field of physics, over 20 years ago. The framework agreement was signed in 2000 by President of Le Mans University Maurice Henry and Rector of JDU Janusz Berdowski. It was renewed in 2017 during the visit of a delegation from France to the University of Czestochowa and signed by President Rachid El Guerjouma and Rector Anna Wypych-Gawronska. At the same time, an agreement was also signed for a double diploma in physics and nanomaterials. Moreover, cooperation was expanded to include other faculties and departments.
So far, the greatest joint achievement has been the launch the double diploma program in physics named joint Polish-French master studies on „Physics and Nanomaterials” under the acronym The Master PNANO. The program was launched in 2006. So far 18 master students of Jan Dlugosz University graduated from Le Mans University and 6 students from Le Mans graduated from Czestochowa University.
On the basis of an agreement between the Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa and the Le Mans University, students of the specialty „Nanophysics nad nanomaterials” from our University are entered on the list of students of both universities and graduating two diplomas - Polish and French. Students take internships in France, the first during the second semester of study (lasting 2 months) and the second devoted to writing their MA thesis during the fourth semester of study (lasting 4 months). The communication language is English. Students interested in future work in industry have the opportunity to stay abroad in renowned industrial laboratories. Graduates of this specialization can find employment: as specialists in the field of research and modeling of nanostructures, composite and mesoscopic materials, as specialists associated with the implementation of nanostructures in specialized industrial laboratories in electronic and electrotechnical plants implementing modern industrial technologies.
Since 2001, our University has had the authority to confer the doctor’s degree in physics. Until now, over 30 doctoral dissertations were accomplished, including 4 in the co -tutelle system implemented in cooperation with Le Mans University. The doctoral student works under the supervision of two co-supervisors: the academic staff of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa and a scientist from Le Mans University. Joint PhDs achieved great professional and scientific success. Dr Dominik Szczesniak who completed his doctoral dissertation in the co-tutelle system in 2013 continued his research during two-year-long internship carried out in the Qatar Scientific Institute of Energy and Environment, and then during one-year post-doc stay in Purdue Univeristy (US) founded by Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under tke Bekker pogramme.
In the academic year 2015/2016, a doctoral student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Karolina Ordon, was granted the scholarship of the French government, the Eiffel Excellent Grant. This is one of the most prestigious French scholarships. In the academic year 2015/2016 it was granted to only 45 people from all over the world and only to two Poles. Karolina Ordon decided to conduct the scientific research at the Le Mans University.
Scientists from the Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa together with scientists from Le Mans University carried out 5 projects under the Polish-French Hubert Curien “Polonium” Partnership Programme.
Scientists from both universities cooperate very intensively, as evidenced by over 40 co-authored scientific articles in peer-review journals, handbooks, chapters in book issued by Springer.
Scientists, students and PhD students from both universities actively participated in the exchange under the Erasmus and Erasmus + programme (Malgorzata Makowska-Janusik, Arkadiusz Mandowski, Abdel Hadi Kassiba, Agnieszka Tomaszewska, Dominik Szczesniak, Alain Gibaud).
In 2010 prof. Abdel Hadi Kassiba from Le Mans University was nominated as honarary professor of Jan Dlugosz Unversity in Czestochowa.
During twenty years of cooperation, several official visits took place:
- in 2011 Prof. Zygmunt Bak – Rector of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa and prof. Malgorzata Makowska-Janusik visited to Le Mans University
- in 2017 a delegation from the Le Mans University represented by: Rector prof. Rachid El Guerjouma, Vice-Rector for International Relations prof. Eliane Elemaleh and professors Pascal Ruello and Abdel Hadi Kassiba from Institute of Molecular Engineering and Functional Materials visited to Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa
- in 2017 prof. Janusz Kapusniak vice-rector for research and international relations of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa participated in International Days organized by Le Mans University."