"This prize honors the initiative to involve European students in this historic Conference on the Future of Europe. Our idea is to bring together student representatives from European universities to develop their sense of community and to reflect on how they collectively see tomorrow's European challenges," said Constance Chevallier-Govers in her acceptance speech in the Grand Amphitheatre of Sorbonne after receiving the award from the Minister of Higher Education and Research Frédérique Vidal.

On 3 and 4 March 2022, 275 students from 139 universities belonging to 38 European alliances and representing 28 European states will meet in Strasbourg to reflect on the future of Europe. After a visit to the European Parliament, they will split into 10 thematic panels to formulate recommendations. These recommendations will then be forwarded to the Commission and the Parliament in the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe. This initiative has already been recognized by the French Presidency of the European Union and also by Grenoble European Green Capital 2022.

The laureate was particularly keen to thank the seven French universities that are members of European alliances and that immediately supported this project: Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Cergy Pontoise (CY), Savoie Mont Blanc (USMN), Montpellier, Poitiers and Troyes, as well as the University of Strasbourg, which has a special role to play since the Student Assembly will be held in the Palais Universitaire de Strasbourg, in the same room where the heads of state of the Council of Europe first met in 1949.

France Universités' University Awards

Three prizes were awarded on 13 January 2022 during the 50th anniversary Congress of the CPU, which on this occasion unveiled its new name: France Universités

The University Prize for Student Engagement

This prize rewards students who are committed to society and who, through their actions, have contributed to improving the daily life, health, access to culture, physical activity and sports, entrepreneurship and professional integration of the most vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.
It was awarded to Salim Kerim, Arthur Fossier, Corentin Duquesne and Thomas Peixoto for the organization of the Amiens Sports and Disability Day at the Picardie Jules Verne University.

The University Prize for Research

This prize rewards a collective and collaborative work in the field of research and innovation around the ecological transition and territories. This initiative must be multidisciplinary and mobilize one or more teams around the university and its partners, particularly research organizations.
The award was presented by Karine Lacombe to Luc Aquilina (University of Rennes 1) and Véronique Van Tilbeurg (University of Rennes 2) for the Common Environmental Intelligence Programme, UNIR site.

The University Prize for the Franco-European initiative at the service of students

This prize, awarded on the occasion of the French presidency of the European Union, rewards an original initiative that can be deployed in other European universities, in terms of training and promoting student mobility.
The award was presented by Guillaume Gellé to Constance Chevallier-Govers, Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) for the inaugural session of the European Students' Assembly for the University.

With these awards, France Universités wishes to highlight the University: the profile of its students, the multidisciplinarity of its research and training, its action in the ecological transition, its relations with the territories and internationally, its European dimension.

The congress, which was held by videoconference from the Elysée Palace, was closed by Manuel Tunon de Lara, President of France Universities, and by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.