Internationnal Setting


The purpose of women's and gender studies research is to cross borders (See Aims).

The Center for Women's and Gender Studies strives to include an international element to the Master's and Ph.D. programs by inviting internationally renowned researchers to participate in our teaching and research activities. (see List of Visiting Professors under the Women's and Gender studies doctorate). (See List of Visiting Professors under the Women's and Gender studies doctorate).

Additionally, the Master's teaching staff strongly advises students to take advantage of the different kinds of student abroad and inter-university study exchange programs.



1) European Programs

a) Erasmus

Students from the 27 EU member countries (including Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway as well as Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey) can carry out part of their studies in another European University for 3 months up to 1 year with Erasmus, which is part of the community education program Socrates. Studies completed outside of France are recognized and recorded by the ECTS system, unless the partner University requires additional admission conditions.

Any Erasmus candidate can apply for a community scholarship or an international scholarship from the University. Students are recommended to organize their study abroad at least a year in advance. For any guidance, please contact Annick Lemmonier, in the international relations office. (Building G, 2nd floor, Office G 220 Tel: 01 49 40 65 36).

Student exchange agreements exist between the following institutions :

- The "Socrates" Master's mutual student exchange between the Center for Women's and Gender studies and the French studies and Gender studies departments of the University College of London (UK), 2008-13.

- The "Socrates" Master's and Ph.D. mutual student exchange between the Center for Women's and Gender studies and the Master's degree "Women, Gender, Citizenship" and the "Dona y Literatura" Center in Barcelona. (Spain) 2008-13

- The "Socrates" mutual exchange with the University of Wroclaw (Poland), 2006-2010

- The "Socrates" Master's and Ph.D. mutual student exchange between the Center for Women's and Gender studies at Paris VIII and the department of cultural studies at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, currently being renewed.

- The "Socrates" mutual student exchange with the English-speaking University Hacettepe d'Ankara (Turkey). Still in place, it has a "Women's and Gender Studies" component at the M1 and M2 level.



b) Erasmus mundus

The Master's degree "Gender(s), theories of difference and the social relations of sex" is striving to set up a partnership with the inter-regional Master's degree in Catalonia "Women, Gender, Citizenship" which is part of the University of Barcelona, as well as with the Master's degree "Cultural and Gender studies" at the University of Leeds. The goal is to obtain the European distinction of excellence "Erasmus Mundus Master" : (See below chart). Links with other Master's degree partner Universities have been made or will be made, in collaboration with the Center for Women's and Gender Studies and Paris VIII and the Réseau Interuniversitaire National sur le Genre (RING). Each year, certain students selected from the Master's program "Gender(s), theories of difference and the social relations of sex" at Paris VIII will be able to receive a European diploma and carry out part of their studies in one or several partner universities with the help of community scholarships.


The Erasmus Mundus Master's degree must :

- rinvolve studies at 3 higher education establishments in 3 different member countries of the EU (the 25 EU countries +European Economic Area + European Free Trade Association) Of these 3 countries, at least two must belong to the EU ;

- require a study period in at least 2 or 3 establishments within the consortium, which allows students to practice at least 2 European languages spoken in the member countries where the consortium universities are ;

- have in place a system of recognizing the studies carried out in the respective establishments, based on or compatible with the ECTS credit system.

- allow the conference of common, double or multiple degrees from the respective establishments of the member States.


2) other programs :

a) Paris VIII General Agreements :

MICEFA allows students in all disciplines to study abroad in North American Universities (in New York or several campuses in California, for example).

French students will only pay registration fees in France and therefore are not subject to the high tuition fees in American Universities. An English language test is required (TOEFEL).

CREPUQ (Conférence des Recteurs et des Présidents d'université du Québec, of which Paris VIII is a member) also allows exchanges. Students in this case also only pay registration fees in France and do not pay any fees in Quebec. Diplomas granted in Québec are recognized in France.

- An agreement with Brown University (USA) allows our students to apply for a travel grant at Pembroke Center for Research and Teaching on Women, one of the principle research centers and archives dedicated to Gender Studies in the United States.

Thanks to the Center for Women's and Gender Studies, an agreement was signed in 2007 with Cornell University (USA) for scholarly cooperation and professor and student exchanges.


b) Contracts between the Center for Women's and Gender Studies at Paris VIII and various foreign institutions.

- Cooperation and student and professor exchange agreement with the University of Duksung, School of Women's Studies, South Korea.
- Cooperation and exchange agreement with the "Dona y Literatura" Center at the University of Barcelona, Catalonia/Spain.
- Agreement with the University of Alicante (Philologias Integradas), Spain
- Cooperation and exchange agreement with the University of Breme (Zentrum für Feministische Studien), Germany
- Cooperation and professor exchange with the University of Kinshasa (Center for Women's Studies), Congo
- Cooperation as well as student and professor exchange with the Humanities faculty at Cornell University (NY, United States). This agreement involves the "Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies" department at Cornell and the Center for Women's and Gender Studies at Paris VIII
- Cooperation and scholarship agreement with the international Francophone network "Gender, Law, Citizenship" under the aegis of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie. This agreement involves research activities (international seminars and conferences) and allows member students in the network to register in our Master's and Ph.D. programs to pursue their studies.