While our society remains quite rightly preoccupied by a crisis that unfortunately tends to overshadow the rest, the 2019-2020 Activity Report that I am proud to present to you today should enable us to take a step back and consider all the projects pursued by the University of Toulon over the past year. While it naturally gives an account of the various actions taken to deal with the health situation and its consequences, this report's first ambition is to give you a better understanding of the actions on which we can already build in order to project ourselves into the future.
For the new governance of Université de Toulon, the 2019-2020 academic year was an opportunity to launch an institutional project that would commit us more firmly to all our partners in the fields of education, scientific research and student life. Numerous initiatives have been launched for the start of the 2019 academic year, and our institution has initiated large-scale projects in close collaboration with the various players in our region.
At the heart of its region and metropolitan area, the University of Toulon is involved in a number of projects to help young people find their way and succeed, in particular by supporting vocational training and, more specifically, the transformation of professions in the marine economy. In conjunction with its scientific and economic partners, the University of Toulon has strengthened its support for research in its key scientific areas. Concerned about the quality of life for its staff and students, the Université de Toulon has developed ambitious heritage projects for its campuses in Toulon, La Garde - La Valette and Draguignan. In anticipation of the resumption of international exchanges, the University of Toulon has been awarded the "Welcome to France" label.
Who could have imagined, less than a year ago, that we would be affected by such a health crisis? Who could have imagined that our personal and professional lives would suddenly be put on hold? From one day to the next, like all higher education establishments in France, the University of Toulon had to close its doors.
But this situation should not have put a stop to our activities or our projects. From one day to the next, the University of Toulon mobilised all its resources to invent the educational and scientific tools needed to continue our public service mission for the benefit of our students. Thanks to the generous commitment of all our staff, the University of Toulon redoubled its efforts and reorganised itself in order to maintain its teaching and research activities, to overcome the health crisis and, at the same time, to prepare for the future by continuing to develop an ambitious project for our institution.
At this very special time, I wanted our Activity Report to have a new look and to be aimed at both our university community and the many partners who are working with us to build the future of a university at the heart of our region.
Our university community could not have carried out these various initiatives on its own, and I would like to assure our partners of our sincere gratitude. If our region is indeed an asset for our institution, then the University of Toulon must be an asset for our region. The relationships based on trust that we have forged or strengthened during this very special year will give new impetus to our actions in the future.
Xavier LEROUX, President of the University