Mélodie Tran Thuan
Student Vice-President
But most importantly, being involved in our institution's governing bodies and serving students has also enabled me to discover mutual aid, altruism, respect and integrity - values that have nurtured my desire to become Student Vice-President
Portrait of Sorbonne University's new Student Vice-President
Congratulations to Mélodie TRAN THUAN who has been elected Student Vice-President of Sorbonne Université.
She is studying Maieutics, as is Héloïs Herrmann, the new Student Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health. We are delighted that their consecutive elections are in line with the Faculty's desire to promote all health studies.
Mélodie Tran Thuan answered our questions. Find out more about her.
What is your career path?
I've had a rather atypical university career! After a year of PASS, I did two years of Licence Accès Santé - LLCER Allemand at the Faculté des Lettres de Sorbonne Université. Although German studies is a fascinating discipline, I realized that the attraction I've always had for the health discipline was getting the better of me. Fascinated by birth, that wonderful stage in life, and by the workings of the female reproductive system, I opted for the maieutics pathway. Since September 2023, I have been a student at the Saint-Antoine School of Midwifery.
Alongside my studies, my student involvement began during my L1, when I joined the UFR Germanic and Nordic Studies council as a student representative. I then became treasurer of the Théâtrallemand vôtre association during my L2, which enabled me to discover the rich associative and cultural world of our establishment and to understand the aid schemes for student projects.
My commitment extended to the European level with my involvement in Alliance 4EU+ as a Sorbonne University student representative. This experience made me aware of the importance of including the student community in European university issues.
What motivated you to become Vice-President?
Over the years of my involvement in student associations and representation, I've become aware of the diversity of issues facing students, which have a significant impact on their training, success, student life, well-being and, ultimately, professional integration. These issues, such as financial insecurity, study-related stress, adjustment difficulties and others, all require special attention and concrete action to improve student life at Sorbonne Université as a whole. Convinced of the need to act on a broader scale, I was elected to the Commission de la Formation et de la Vie Universitaire following the student elections in November 2023, with the desire to improve student life at our institution and to be a dedicated spokesperson for my community.
But most importantly, being involved in our institution's governing bodies and serving students has also enabled me to discover the importance of mutual aid, altruism, respect and integrity - values that have nurtured my desire to become Student Vice-President of Sorbonne University.
What projects are you currently working on?
There are many! If I have to name the project that is closest to my heart, it's the inclusion of students from Sorbonne Université's delocalized campuses. As a student at AP-HP's Picpus Campus, I'm keenly aware of the challenges faced by students at Sorbonne Université's off-site campuses (INSPÉ Molitor and Batignolles, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-Mer, École de Kinésithérapie de Paris, CELSA Campus, etc.), whether they're challenges of a personal or professional nature, from challenges related to geographical location and accessibility to Paris, to crucial issues such as housing and food - notably the absence of CROUS university restaurants on these campuses. I want to make sure that we reach out to these students, to show that Sorbonne Université is able to help them, and that they don't feel forgotten.
My other projects include, to name but a few, promoting strong and inclusive student representation of culture, a vehicle for social cohesion, stability and intellectual openness.
I would also like to encourage the growth and diversification of Sorbonne University's associations, particularly curriculum associations. These associations act as a link between the classes and the UFRs, providing better support for the student community throughout their studies.