EAIE Toulouse 2024
The University of Toulouse, Toulouse Métropole and the Occitanie Region welcomed the European Association for International Education (EAIE) to Toulouse from September 17 to 20, 2024.
The EAIE conference is THE major annual meeting place for higher education professionals in Europe.
After a 15-year absence from France, this event brought together more than 6,000 higher education professionals from over 90 countries for conferences, workshops and trade fairs on the challenges of internationalizing education.
The success of the EAIE (European Association for International Education) congress, the largest international conference ever held in Toulouse, was exemplary in more ways than one. Over 4 days, more than 7,300 participants from over 110 countries gathered at MEETT and at evening events in the city center.
Why host this conference in France and Toulouse in 2024?
- Bringing France into the competitive arena of major international higher education fairs: EAIE is the equivalent of NAFSA in North America and APAIE in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Giving a European dimension to French higher education policy challenges: excellence, internationalization and inclusion.
- Promote the excellence of the 280 French universities and schools that took part in the Barcelona edition in 2022 (probably more in Toulouse).
- Participate in the development of the Africa/Europe relationship, a theme planned for this 2024 edition in connection with the Africa-France Summit held in Montpellier on October 8, 2021.
- Spread the word about French academic excellence in general, and that of Occitanie and Toulouse in particular.
- Enhance the influence of universities in the Occitanie region, France’s 3rd largest university center (260,000 students), particularly the major university centers of Toulouse and Montpellier.
- Strengthen the region’s attractiveness and influence in terms of higher education and research: recruit talented staff, guest lecturers and researchers, particularly in the context of the experimental establishment that the University of Toulouse has become.
- Capture the economic benefits for Toulouse and Occitanie of one of the largest conferences in Toulouse: over 7,000 people / 3 days, possibility of an Occitanie Rail tour Pass with direct and indirect economic benefits estimated at €8M (figures from the Union Française des Métiers de l’événement).
The way the EAIE conference was hosted demonstrated the ability of Toulouse’s partners to meet the most demanding requirements of this type of international event: infrastructure, personalized welcome, event organization, management and entertainment, mobilization of partners, communication, to name but a few.
THE EAIE
The European Association for International Education (EAIE) is the European center of expertise, networking and resources for the internationalization of higher education.
It is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to support the internationalization of higher education establishments.
The project was initially supported by the University of Toulouse, Toulouse Métropole and the Occitanie Region.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (DGESIP / DGRI – DAEI B3), the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (DGM/DCERR/ESR), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, CPU (Conférence Présidents d’Universités), CDEFI (Conférence Directeurs d’Ecoles de Formations d’Ingénieurs), Campus France, AUF, CNOUS, Toulouse Métropole, Région Occitanie, Régions de France, L’Agence nationale Erasmus+… support this project.
Reinforced support from the MEAE through the mobilization of resources from French diplomatic posts in Africa to promote the mobility of staff from African universities to the EAIE 2024.
To remember
An extraordinary project
- 7,300 participants from over 110 countries
- 53 parallel events
- 4 days
- 9.4 million € in economic spin-offs, including 48% for local businesses
Not to be missed
- Venue: MEETT
- Accessibility: international airport, train station and connections to national & international hubs
- Hotel capacity: 100% occupancy rate for the week of the conference
Toulouse’s strengths
- Conference funds
- Exceptional events: opening evening at the Victor-Hugo market
- Downtown experience for participants
- Partnership in support of the University of Toulouse: Toulouse Métropole, Haute-Garonne Prefecture and Occitanie Region
- Friendly environment: MEETT, public transport, gastronomy…
- Toulouse Team: convention bureau, reception, communication, economic development, support functions, guides, legal, observatory, promotion, receptive…