Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur)

What Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur) does

Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur) is a French non-profit coordination network founded in 2017 to connect higher education institutions engaged in welcoming and supporting students in exile. The network serves refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons seeking to access or resume higher education in France, including students from conflict zones such as Sudan, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria whose studies have been interrupted. It addresses pain points including limited French language proficiency, non-recognition of foreign diplomas, lack of administrative guidance, housing instability, and social isolation.

The organization's core product is the DU Passerelle (Diplôme Universitaire Passerelle), a university bridge diploma offered across 42 authorized programs at member institutions ranging from beginner (A1) to advanced (C1) French language levels. Registration is free, and programs operate at universities including Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris 8, Lyon 2, Lyon 3, Lille, Strasbourg, and INALCO. Supporting programs include AIMES and AIMES+ financing mechanisms that fund Passerelle training, the KANDAKA project for Sudanese students displaced by war, the DU H2M (Hospitalité, Médiations, Migrations) diploma delivered with INALCO, and a Demande d'Admission Adaptée (DAA) process. The network also runs training seminars on asylum law, student rights, and intercultural accompaniment, alongside "Les Discussions" webinars and two annual national reunions for member institution staff. There is no proprietary technology platform; the network's "technology" is the coordinated human workflow and knowledge-sharing infrastructure spanning 55 member establishments, 9 associative partners, and 11 institutional partners, serving approximately 1,800 exiled students annually across all 13 French metropolitan regions.

Réseau MEnS operates as an association under French non-profit law (no venture capital, no parent company, no publicly traded shares). Revenue is assembled from foundation grants (Fondation L'Oréal, Fondation SNCF, Fondation de France, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation), French government institutional funding (Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, Ministère de l'Intérieur, Ministère de la Culture, and the Délégation Interministérielle à l'Accueil et à l'Intégration des Réfugiés), European Union co-financing, and local government support (Ville de Paris). The organization maintains strategic partnerships with HCR (UN Refugee Agency), Campus France, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Centre ENIC-NARIC France, JRS France, AIME, Entraide Universitaire Française, and corporate funders such as Nexira. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and the entity is governed by its member institutions with a permanent team of approximately nine staff.

Name

Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur)

Legal name

Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur)

Website

https://reseau-mens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Réseau MEnS is a French non-profit coordination network connecting 55 higher education institutions to support students in exile, operating 42 DU Passerelle bridge programs that welcome approximately 1,800 exiled students annually across all French regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Coordination Services for Refugees

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF)

Keywords

• Refugee student integration
• Higher education coordination
• Bridge diploma programs
• Student exile support
• University network

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Fondation L'Oréal, Fondation SNCF, and Fondation de France to support operations and specific programs like the KANDAKA project for Sudanese students.
2. Government Institutional Funding: Financial support from French government ministries (Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, Ministère de l'Intérieur et des Outre-Mer, Ministère de la Culture) and the Délégation Interministérielle à l'Accueil et à l'Intégration des Réfugiés to fund student integration programs.
3. European Union Funding: Co-financing from the European Union to support the network's activities and student welcome programs.
4. Local Government Funding: Support from local authorities including Ville de Paris for regional programs.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Réseau MEnS is a French non-profit coordination network that connects 55+ higher education institutions to facilitate the academic integration of students in exile (refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons). Its core offering is the DU Passerelle (Diplôme Universitaire Passerelle), a free bridge diploma program offering French language training and academic preparation, delivered across 42 authorized programs at member universities nationwide, supplemented by financing programs (AIMES, AIMES+), specialized projects (KANDAKA for Sudanese students), staff training seminars, and inter-institutional discussion sessions.

Product overview

Réseau MEnS is a network of French higher education institutions organized around a unified portfolio of programs and services. The core offering is the DU Passerelle (University Bridge Diploma) — a bridge program offering French language training and academic preparation across 42 authorized programs at member universities. This is supported by financing programs AIMES and AIMES+, which fund the Passerelle training. The network also runs the specialized KANDAKA project for Sudanese students, organizes training seminars for member institution staff, and facilitates discussion sessions for coordination and best practice sharing among the 55 member institutions, 9 associative partners, and 11 institutional partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DU Passerelle: Diplôme Universitaire Passerelle - a university diploma program for students in exile to resume their studies in France
• KANDAKA
• AIMES
• AIMES+

Products and services

• DU Passerelle (Diplôme Universitaire Passerelle)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1800 students in exile welcomed annually through the network

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• HCR - Agence des Nations Unies pour les réfugiéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Refugee Agency listed as an institutional partner providing international refugee protection expertise and coordination.
• Campus FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency promoting French higher education internationally, co-developing pathways for international students including refugees.
• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university association supporting French-language higher education, co-supporting DU Passerelle programs.
• JRS France (Jesuit Refugee Service)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit refugee service organization providing accompaniment and referral services for students in exile.
• Centre ENIC-NARIC FrancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agency for recognition of foreign qualifications, supporting diploma recognition for refugee students.
• Université Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonnecoreOthersMember university offering DU Passerelle programs for students in exile.
• Sorbonne UniversitécoreOthersMember university offering DU RESPE programs for refugee students.
• INALCOcoreOthersNational Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations offering specialized language programs including DU Passerelle and DU H2M (Hospitalité, Médiations, Migrations) for refugee students.
• AIME (ONG)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation hosting volunteer opportunities for the network and supporting student accompaniment.
• Entraide Universitaire Française (EUF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging scholarships for the KANDAKA project supporting Sudanese students through the network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): International network of French-speaking higher education institutions. Already a strategic partner of Réseau MEnS, AUF provides comparable university network coordination and supports French-language higher education pathways similar to the DU Passerelle model.
• Campus France: French government agency promoting international student mobility and managing scholarship programs. Co-develops refugee student pathways with Réseau MEnS and operates overlapping functions in international student integration into French higher education.
• JRS France (Jesuit Refugee Service France): French branch of Jesuit Refugee Service providing direct accompanist services to refugees including students. Already a partner association of Réseau MEnS, with overlapping student accompaniment and referral functions.
• Centre ENIC-NARIC France: National agency for foreign credential recognition supporting refugee students. Strategic partner of Réseau MEnS, addressing the diploma recognition bottleneck that DU Passerelle students face when entering French higher education.

Broad incumbents

• European University Association (EUA): Large representative body of over 850 European universities, including the French institutions in Réseau MEnS. Operates at a broader European scale around refugee inclusion policy but does not run national-level bridge programs.

Others

• ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles): European umbrella network of refugee-assisting NGOs. Operates at the policy and advocacy level rather than directly running bridge programs, but shapes the policy environment within which Réseau MEnS and similar national networks operate.
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): UN agency for refugee protection with global higher education initiatives (e.g., DAFI scholarships). Operates a parallel ecosystem of refugee student support and is already a strategic partner of Réseau MEnS in France.
• JRS Europe (Jesuit Refugee Service Europe): Pan-European Jesuit organization accompanying refugees including in higher education access. Operates in a similar space of refugee student accompaniment and advocacy across multiple EU countries, comparable to Réseau MEnS's mission but at a continental rather than national scope.

Regional players

• CIMEA (Italy): Italian NARIC center managing credential recognition and refugee student pathways. Provides a comparable regulatory and integration function for refugee students in the Italian higher education system, analogous to Réseau MEnS's coordination role in France.
• DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) - Refugee Programmes: German academic exchange service operating the 'Welcome' program for refugee students. The closest national-level comparator to Réseau MEnS in another major European country, coordinating German universities around refugee student access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r%C3%A9seau-mens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Réseau MEnS (Migrants dans l'Enseignement Supérieur)