Corinne NATIVEL
Director of the house
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR ARRIVAL AT THE CITÉ INTERNATIONALE.
As I entered the campus, I left a familiar territory, that of my native Paris and my studies (LEA at the Sorbonne) to join another. The sight of the College, its bow windows and red bricks, immediately brought back memories of my years studying and working in the UK. After completing a PhD in the social sciences at the Institute for German Studies at the University of Birmingham, I worked as a post-doc researcher with British geographers and sociologists. Here we are on the campus of all the universities where I loved studying and working: Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kingston, Lancaster, Loughborough and Aberdeen. Back in Paris, I worked for the OECD before being appointed a lecturer in English studies at the University of Franche-Comté. Since 2012, I have been teaching in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages at the Université Paris-Est Créteil. I co-direct a Master’s degree in English Studies. My dual role as a teacher-researcher and as the director of a centre leads me to build bridges between worlds and populations that are much closer than they might seem at first sight.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT MAKES THE CITÉ INTERNATIONALE A UNIQUE CAMPUS IN THE WORLD?
Even though, unlike traditional campuses, the Cité does not offer teaching but only accommodation, it cannot be considered simply as a place to stay or to pass through. It’s a place where people can meet and share, where they can stop and take the time to listen to others (just like the sound of the birds, which also benefit from the park’s biodiversity!) Developing projects run by residents’ committees, playing sport, sharing meals, taking part in painting and dance workshops, film screenings, concerts and other festive occasions all contribute to the unique experience of sharing, laughing, having fun, imagining, creating and living… together.
What’s also unique is the fact that the campus is open to the city and its residents, and doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Parisians come here to relax with their families, walk their dogs or go for their daily jog. The Cité allows diverse populations to rub shoulders, which is very fertile.
HOW DOES LIVING IN YOUR HOUSE ALLOW RESIDENTS TO HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON THE WORLD AND HOW IS IT A SPRING BOARD FOR THEIR FUTURES?
The College is home to around 250 residents of some fifty nationalities. This huge mix of origins is complemented by the wide range of academic disciplines represented, encouraging interdisciplinarity. This cross-fertilisation of viewpoints is an essential faculty for tackling the challenges of our century. What’s more, the house’s communal areas (library, foyer, grand salon, auditorium) and its large garden encourage the organisation of fun and creative activities. Former residents sometimes come back and talk about the importance of the role played by the house in their lives: friendships, a network, memories… In short, the way in which the residents see the world around them can only be an enlightened view that will inspire them on their journey.
IF YOU HAD TO SUM UP THE CITÉ INTERNATIONALE IN ONE WORD, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Breaking down barriers. The city helps to break down the many symbolic and material barriers that keep people locked in misunderstanding and fear of others. The more we decompartmentalise, the easier it is to learn through discovery, sharing and living together.
The Cité encourages everyone to be curious and to reach out to others. It is both an institution and a place that reminds us of humanity’s attachment to the values of democracy, solidarity, diversity, peace and social justice.
