As part of the PEA-IMPACT program, funded by the French Development Agency and led by the National Research Agency in partnership with UTT,the University of Lomé, and IMT in Albi, we hosted an English teacherfrom EPL, Koffi MIHAM, for one month between March and April 2025.

The purpose of her visit was to observe our teaching and administrative practices in order to compare them with her own methods. We would like to thank all the professors who welcomed her into their classes: Heather COOPER, Brigitte DURIEZ, Raphaëlle PRITZY, Joanne SMITH, Muriel THANNER, Rachel VERNA, and Nathalie ZAVADA. A big thank you also goes to Jérémie BEAUDET and Hélène BEHAGUE, who provided him with brief training sessions on teaching tools, and to Adélaïde CAREIL and Alexa GUILLIER for the time they devoted to discussing administrative matters.

“I was particularly impressed by the quality of English instruction at UTBM and by the interactivity of your digital resources. I’d love to have tools like those! You also have smaller class sizes for your tutorials and lab sessions, which is a real advantage for your students,” explains Koffi.

He also had the opportunity to participate in Crunch Time 2025 as a mentor and was thus able to work with several groups of students during this week dedicated to technological innovation.

On a more personal note, Koffi enjoyed his time in France and will especially remember the quality of his interactions with the professors and staff at UTBM. Aside from a few minor mishaps that will give him some funny stories to share with his loved ones, he truly enjoyed his stay and thinks he’ll miss France!

“I would like to thank Franck GECHTER, Director of International Relations at UTBM; Heather COOPER, Assistant Director; and their entire team at the DRII. A special thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with me. I would also like to thank the President of the University of Lomé, the Director of EPL, and Mr. ATCHONOUGLO, the partnership representative.”