10 years of UCO Nantes
On October 17, the Université Catholique de l'Ouest (UCO) de Nantes celebrated a significant milestone: ten years of commitment to its students, dedicated to their academic and human formation. The anniversary brought together a large audience of institutional partners, local representatives and former students to share memories and discover the university's new ambitions for the coming decade.
A look back at the origins of the campus
The evening featured a number of speeches tracing the history of UCO Nantes, highlighting its roots and evolution. Pierre Usclat, vice-rector, and Father Santagostini, episcopal delegate, recalled the beginnings of this academic adventure. Back in 2012, the Diocese of Nantes expressed the wish to create a Catholic higher education cluster in the region. This project saw the light of day in 2014 with the opening of the Rezé campus, responding to a local need for quality training in a Catholic and humanist setting.
A future full of prospects
UCO Nantes' commitment is not limited to the past: the institution is resolutely looking to the future. Agnès Bourgeais, mayor of Rezé, accompanied by Clara Lebret, student and president of the Bureau des Étudiants (BDE), and Dr. Clément Cousin Cousin, campus director, all stressed the importance of maintaining a training environment that combines academic rigor, autonomy and well-being.
The goal? To prepare future professionals to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world, while valuing people at the heart of the educational process. It's also a question of responding to the needs of the region, to ensure the training of tomorrow's workers and local attractiveness. "We're part of a network in Western France. It's not just academic, but also political and economic. This responsibility is reflected in the UCO's recognition as an EESPIG (établissement supérieur privé d'intérêt général)," says the campus director.
A deep commitment to society
UCO Nantes' mission therefore goes far beyond academic teaching: it is part of a strong commitment to society, in line with the UCO 2027 project. Julie Laernoes, Member of Parliament for Loire Atlantique, and Laurent Péridy, Rector of the UCO, took the floor to reiterate the essential role of the university in training responsible and committed citizens. "At UCO, we value the diversity of our students; we see this as an opportunity for them and for us to learn together... by inviting them to engage in this dialogue with each other," declared Laurent Péridy. These values of dialogue, humanity and proximity reflect UCO's desire to prepare young people to play an active part in building a fairer, more sustainable society.
Towards a new decade of challenges and opportunities
This anniversary evening was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of UCO Nantes, while outlining the prospects for the future. This campus, rooted in the Catholic tradition of universality and openness to the world, has established itself as a place of learning where the quality of teaching goes hand in hand with a strong commitment to the common good and civic responsibility. UCO Nantes continues to train, support and develop the talents of tomorrow, ready to meet the challenges of the next ten years with the same enthusiasm.
