Dreams of studying medicine at Paris' prestigious Sorbonne have been dashed for Uni.lu students after the university abruptly and unilaterally ended its participation in an exchange programme.
The Sorbonne University in Paris will no longer accept medical students from the University of Luxembourg into its bachelor's programme for the upcoming academic year – despite an existing agreement between the institutions.
The decision has drawn criticism from the Association of Luxembourg Student Unions (ACEL), the Christian Social Youth (CSJ), and Minister for Higher Education Stéphanie Obertin, all of whom expressed disappointment. The reasons behind the move remain unclear, as the Sorbonne has not responded to RTL's requests for comment.
For some students who began their medical studies in Luxembourg, the change could disrupt their academic plans. "It's an extremely bitter pill to swallow for a student who worked hard to qualify for the Sorbonne after their first year, only to have that opportunity taken away", said ACEL President Gianni Di Paoli.
In response to a parliamentary question from MP Laurent Mosar of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), Minister Obertin confirmed that the Sorbonne will exclude Uni.lu students from third-semester placements in the 2025/26 academic year.
Since 2020, the University of Luxembourg has offered a full bachelor's degree in medicine, with 130 first-year places available. This number drops to just over 30 in subsequent years.
For remaining students, partnerships exist with universities in France (Paris, Lorraine, and Strasbourg), Belgium's Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and Germany (Munich, Erlangen-Nuremberg, and Würzburg).
With the Sorbonne no longer an option, the 34 placements for Uni.lu medical students in France will be reallocated among the three remaining partner institutions, according to Minister Obertin's parliamentary response.
Both the CSJ and ACEL have reiterated their support for international university cooperation while urging the University of Luxembourg to expand its domestic medical programme. The ultimate goal remains establishing a full master's degree in medicine, said ACEL President Di Paoli, adding, however, that ACEL has "always believed it is important for students to be able to gain experience abroad."
The move comes as Luxembourg faces an ongoing physician shortage, with the current system failing to produce enough new doctors to meet demand.
