University of New Caledonia


The University of New Caledonia UNC is a French university which is part of the Academy of New Caledonia located in Nouméa.
The university goes back to 1987 when the Université Française du Pacifique was created, with two centres, one in French Polynesia and the other in New Caledonia. In 1997, the decision was made to split the two parts into separate universities and so in 1999 the Université de la Nouvelle Calédonie and the Université de la Polynésie Française were created.
UNC hosts around 3,000 local and international students with a staff of about 100 professors and researchers and 100 administrative employees each year. The President of UNC is Gaël Lagadec, who succeeded Jean-Marc Boyer.

History

UNC was initially a component of the Université Française du Pacifique founded in 1987 along with another center in French Polynesia. Between 1992 and 1995, the university expanded in Nouville, one of the neighborhoods of Nouméa, where the Department of Sciences and Techniques and the administrative services are located. Since then, the Department of Law, Economy and Management is located in Les Anciens Ateliers du Bagne in Nouville.
In 1994, a residence was built on the UNC campus to accommodate students and it was expanded in 2003 to make lodgings available to international students. In 2006, the French Government funded an extension of the Nouville campus in a view to closing the second campus located in Magenta in Nouméa.
On May 1, 2009, the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres of New Caledonia, which had been created in 1990, was incorporated into UNC. It also covers Wallis and Futuna Territory. The goal of the institute is to offer education including specific features found in French Overseas Departments and Territories to primary and secondary school teachers in New Caledonia.
Thanks to the support of the French Government and the Government of New Caledonia, UNC has grown considerably. Recently, several structures were built at the Nouville campus to accommodate athletes who participated in the 2011 Pacific Games:
UNC is composed of a Doctoral School, an institute and four departments. 13 Bachelor's degrees, 4 Master's degrees and 10 Diplomas are offered at UNC as well as preparation for the competitive entrance examinations for medical school and the teachers' college. UNC also offers distance learning for off-campus students with the participation of the Centre National d'Enseignement à Distance.

Department of Law, Economy & Management

This department is run by Étienne Cornut, a professor in civil law, and is based at the Nouville campus. Four bachelor's degrees are available from UNC's Department of Law, Economy & Management:
The department has signed agreements with the Lycée du :fr:Grand Nouméa|Grand Nouméa located in Dumbéa in order to offer a combined bachelor and post-secondary preparatory class for the entrance to École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, a prestigious university in Cachan, France.

Department of Literature, Languages & Humanities

The Dean of UNC's Department of Literature, Languages & Humanities is Vincent Clément, a professor in geography, and its administrative offices are located at the Magenta campus. UNC students can choose from among the following four undergraduate degrees at the Department of Literature, Languages & Humanities:
Two graduate degrees are also available to students:
The Department of Sciences & Techniques, located on the Nouville campus, is managed by Bruno Fogliani, professor in biology. UNC Department of Sciences & Techniques offers five undergraduate degrees:
Students can also earn a graduate degree in:
The coursework includes lectures in French and in English and is part of the cooperation between UNC, "Institut de recherche pour le développement", University of Hawaii at Hilo and University of the South Pacific.
Students can complete the "Première Année des Etudes de Santé" at UNC's Department of Sciences & Techniques. Upon completion of the three trimesters and four competitions included in that first year, students can study for various medical degrees in:
Finally, the following four diplomas are available:
UNC's Department of Continuing Education provides training and education for employed students who wish to develop their personal skills. The department can issue six diplomas to graduating students:
The University Institute for Teacher Training was created in Noumea in 1990 and incorporated into UNC in 2009. At the institute, UNC students can either prepare for the competition to become a primary teacher in New Caledonia or earn a Master's in Educational Professions.

Doctoral School

UNC's Doctoral School is multidisciplinary and provides an opportunity to postgraduate students to conduct their research in an island context. The Doctoral School was created in conjunction with the University of French Polynesia located in Tahiti and is approved by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The Doctoral School is run by Henri Bonnel, a professor of mathematics.

Research

UNC is the reference point for research in New Caledonia and the home of five research teams:
The research teams are recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and focus on research need for the development of New Caledonia along with expanding cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.