Sorbonne University launches its International Welcome Desk
Sorbonne University continues to expand its international outreach and is proud to launch its International Online Welcome Desk. This single 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.
A simplified welcome process
Designed and managed by Sorbonne University’s Directorate of International and European Affairs, the International Online Welcome Desk is the first phase of a major initiative with a clear goal: to provide a Welcome Desk that is both online and on-site, simplifying and harmonising the welcome process for all international students, researchers, and teaching staff.
Launched on 3 December, the fully bilingual (French and English) International Online Welcome Desk centralises all the information international students and academic staff need to support their mobility experience. From joining courses and research units to visas, finances, accommodation, health, and cultural or sporting activities, everything is presented in clear, practical fact sheets tailored to personalised pathways (students, lecturers, and researchers) and key stages of their mobility journey: ‘Before their arrival’, ‘During their stay’, and ‘Before they leave’.
One particularly innovative feature of the website is its checklist, which allows users to select the topics they want to explore, access the corresponding information, and save the items most relevant to them, making navigation and planning much easier.
The second phase of the project is the gradual rollout of a harmonised network of physical welcome points. Supported by faculty and inter-faculty advisers, these welcome points will assist international students, researchers, and academic staff who cannot find the information they need on the International Online Welcome Desk.
Welcome points are already available in the three faculties, one is being established at the Doctoral College, and an inter-faculty welcome point is planned. Work will begin early next year to coordinate and streamline the entire network.
A collective project
More than just a platform, the International Online Welcome Desk is the result of a collective effort involving the Directorate of International and European Affairs, the Communications Department, the IT Department, the Legal and Institutional Affairs Department, and nearly twenty faculty and inter-faculty teams responsible for international relations, training, student life, research, and human resources, along with 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 International Online Welcome Desk represents a significant milestone in Sorbonne University’s internationalisation policy. It will not only enhance the quality of the welcome offered to its international students, researchers, and academic staff, but also strengthen the university’s image and appeal to academic and institutional partners in France and abroad. These are key conditions for obtaining the Bienvenue en France label, for which an application is planned in 2026.
By providing clear, inclusive, and tailored support to all who join its campuses, Sorbonne University reaffirms its commitment to offering a high-quality welcome to its international community.
Discover the Sorbonne University International Welcome Desk.
