Sorbonne University launches its International Welcome Desk

This unique online gateway is designed for international students, PhD candidates, and academic staff, offering seamless support at every stage of their mobility experience, from arrival preparation to departure.

Designed and coordinated by the Department of International and European Affairs at Sorbonne University, the International Welcome Desk is the very first phase of a major project. It aims to achieve a very clear objective: to create an online and on campus Welcome Desk to simplify and harmonise the welcome process for international audiences who are thinking of studying, teaching or carrying out research at Sorbonne University.

Launched today, the International Online Welcome Desk is available in French and English, and provides all the information international arrivals need to ensure that their mobility experience goes smoothly as possible. From information on joining educational programmes and research units at Sorbonne University to visa procedures, accommodation, health, culture and sport…everything is outlined in clear, practical fact sheets, with the possibility of personalising information depending on your profile (students, lecturers, researchers) or the stage of your mobility stay (before, during or after arrival).

With its innovative design, the website offers visitors the possibility of generating a checklist, and selecting the information they would like to save to make navigation easier.

The second phase of the initiative aims to gradually establish a physical welcome desk. Supported by a network of faculty and interfaculty ambassadors, this welcome desk will support those who have not found the information they need on the International Online Welcome Desk. Welcome services already exist in the university’s three faculties, one is currently being created in the Doctoral College and an interfaculty service is due to be launched. Work will begin in the new year to coordinate and bring everything together.

A shared project

More than just a platform, the International Online Welcome Desk is the result of a collective effort, involving the departments of International and European affairs, Communication, IT, Legal and Institutional Affairs, as well as nearly twenty faculty and interfaculty departments working in international relations, education, student life, research, human resources, and the Doctoral College.

The website is designed to be scalable and interconnected. Future versions will incorporate mobility for administrative staff, as well as new features such as online appointment booking, a multilingual chatbot, statistical monitoring tools and a personalised user space.

The launch of the International Online Welcome Desk marks a key milestone in Sorbonne University's internationalisation policy. It will not only improve the quality of how international audiences are welcomed and hosted at the university, but it will also promote the image and appeal of Sorbonne University among academic and institutional partners in France and abroad. These are essential conditions for obtaining the official “Bienvenue en France” government label, for which an application will be submitted in 2026.

By providing clear, inclusive and tailored support for new international arrivals, Sorbonne University is reaffirming its commitment to ensuring excellent welcome conditions for its community.

>> Go to the International Online Welcome Desk <<