Université de Sherbrooke
AC-5: Immersive Experience

1-GROUPE DE COLLABORATION INTERNATIONALE EN INGÉNIERIE DE L'UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE (GCIUS) [EN: INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING COLLABORATION GROUP OF THE UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE]
https://www.gcius.ca/accueil

The Groupe de collaboration internationale en ingénierie de l'Université de Sherbrooke (GCIUS) [EN : International Engineering Collaboration Group of the Université de Sherbrooke] develops and implements engineering projects that ensure the sustainable development of communities in need.

GCIUS is a non-profit charitable organization. Its operational centre and board of directors are made up of GCIUS members who are third-year students in the Faculty of Engineering.

GCIUS is the ultimate student experience at an international collaboration level. The internship is open to Université de Sherbrooke students at the bachelor's or master's degree level in all fields. This is a great opportunity to take part in an international collaborative internship through a sustainable engineering project. Its participants can choose and fully manage a large-scale project. It is therefore a journey of pedagogical immersion where each student has the opportunity to achieve their greatest ambitions. The mandate consists of a 12-month involvement in GCIUS, including a 4-month internship recognized by the university's Service des stages et du développement professionnel [EN: Co-op Work Term and Professional Development].

GCIUS envisions a world of solidarity where developing communities have the means, technologies, and infrastructure to embrace the principle of sustainable development.

Its mission statement is to carry out sustainable engineering projects in developing countries and optimize the positive impact of these projects on living standards of communities. The GCIUS has demonstrated that it has a major impact on the communities it visited. Its goal is to carry out projects that have a lasting impact and this is how the impact of GCIUS can be seen in the long term. It works continuously with the word sustainability in mind to ensure the durability and viability of the projects.

GCIUS promotes values such as social equity, sustainable development, justice, and the sharing of appropriate technologies. The group encourages the initiative and participation of Canadian engineers internationally. GCIUS also supports the involvement of local communities in the work in order to facilitate technological exchange and enhance sustainable development while respecting cultural differences.

2- PÔLE DE FORMATION EN COOPÉRATION INTERNATIONALE (PFCI) [EN: TRAINING CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION]
https://www.usherbrooke.ca/flsh/recherche/centres-groupes-et-equipes-de-recherche/pole-de-formation-en-cooperation-internationale/

Another program is the Pôle de formation en coopération internationale (PFCI), which began its activities in the fall of 2021. The PFCI brings together the international cooperation actors of the Université de Sherbrooke and their partners to facilitate international development. By carrying out projects in favour of sustainable development, the PFCI contributes to the development of students, but also to the advancement and circulation of knowledge in the world. The UN's sustainable development objectives are at the heart of the PFCI's approach.

The PFCI places the student at the centre of its approach: they is the pivot around which international cooperation projects are built. Students can apply for an Expérience de coopération internationale multidisciplinaire (ECIM) [EN: Multidisciplinary International Cooperation Experience]. ECIMs can take the form of a co-op, a credited, or a non-credited work term. They can be individual projects or group projects.

ECIMs at the Université de Sherbrooke are open to students from all faculties and disciplines. Students, wishing to participate in an international cooperation project, receive training before embarking on it as part of the GEP 312 course - Preparation for international work term. As part of this course, students prepare and organize their work term from both a logistical and cultural point of view. Various lectures and resources are offered to develop their systems thinking on issues of international development, international cooperation, sustainable development and its goals. Reflections on international aid, international trade, fair trade, environmental issues, and food security issues are part of the training. Ongoing training and appropriate follow-up during this professional experience are also offered to students.

The PFCI maintains relationships with various partners, including the Groupe de collaboration internationale de l'Université de Sherbrooke (GCIUS) (mentioned above), Oxfam, the Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale (CECI) [EN: Center for International Studies and Cooperation], the Amis de la Saint-Camille [EN: friends of Saint Camille], the Partenariat pour le développement des communautés (PARDEC) [EN: Partnership for Community Development], the Carrefour de solidarité internationale (CSI) [EN: Crossroads of international solidarity], InspirAction, Canada World Youth (CWY), and Fondation BDA (Biotechnologie pour le Développement durable en Afrique) [EN: BDA Foundation (Biotechnology for Sustainable Development in Africa)].

Several ECIMs are part of an ad hoc need of the PFCI's partner organizations:
• Planning and improving communications - including strategies and tools
• Finding and analyzing evidence
• Developing the network of contacts
• Fundraising through various strategies
• Participating in the evaluation of ongoing and completed projects
• Developing codes of ethics