Agence d'attractivité

Capital of the Occitanie region, Toulouse is a dynamic and attractive European metropolis. Known as the "Pink City", it combines its leading position in the aeronautics and space industries with a quality of life that attracts students and talents alike. With its modern, friendly and festive atmosphere, Toulouse surprises with architectural heritage, a varied cultural programme and a high-quality gastronomy.

Occitanie region

The Occitanie Region supports higher education, research, and innovation. Occitanie’s establishments are skilled in training young people and in allowing companies to recruit new talent ready to take on the challenges of the twin transitions. The Region supports its 270 000 students by strengthening the diversity and quality of higher education. Its priorities are to prepare the skills necessary for tomorrow’s workforce and to develop access throughout its territory with its two major university centers of Toulouse and Montpellier, but also its 18 local university cities. Aiming to be a leading European region in science and technology innovation, regional aid also comes in the form of support for research institutions.

Prefecture

Occitanie is France's 2nd-largest region in terms of surface area and 5th-largest in terms of population. It has 13 départements (the most of any region), 2 metropolitan areas (Toulouse and Montpellier), 1 urban community (Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole) and a network of medium-sized towns. Administering Occitanie means managing an area larger and more populous than Ireland.

Prefect of the Occitanie region

Pierre André Durand, prefect of the Occitanie region since January 2023, is the guarantor of the unity of the State's message in the region. Custodian of the State's authority over the region, he represents the Prime Minister and each of the ministers. He is responsible for applying national and Community policies in the region.
To this end, he heads the regional decentralised government departments. In terms of public policy on national education and higher education, Occitanie has a Rector of the Academic Region, Sophie Béjean, who is also Chancellor of the Universities. She is assisted by Khaled Bouabdallah, Deputy Rector for Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Together, they guarantee the unity and coherence of the State's approach to education, working closely with the regional prefect.

An economically and demographically dynamic region

It is an economically and demographically dynamic region, with its urban areas concentrating its wealth and more than two-thirds of its population. Against this backdrop of strong imbalance, the implementation of the government's policy of decentralisation, development and the fight against the territorial divide is one of the major challenges facing the devolved State. In Occitanie, this is organised around a regional prefecture and thirteen departmental prefectures. .

University of Toulouse

After nearly 8 centuries of existence, the University of Toulouse is currently home to 110,000 students and 17,000 staff members. One of the largest academic hubs in France, our community brings together 22 higher-education institutions from across the western Occitanie region. Thanks to world-class research, cutting edge education programs and a unique private sector, the University of Toulouse is committed to building the world of tomorrow, playing a pivotal role in addressing the environmental and educational challenges facing modern societies.

For the university community of Toulouse, the city of Toulouse, the Occitanie region and the Prefecture of Occitanie, it is an honor to host EAIE 2024, an emblematic and essential event in international higher education.