The ORA University Student Exchange Program is a collaborative initiative with 10 institutions in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and 11 universities in Ontario. Initiated in 1991, the program exchanges up to 65 full time students from each region in the regular exchange program. Since then 2 more programs have been developed; a Summer Research Program and a Summer Language Program.

The ORA program provides international study and research opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels across the curriculum. The exchange is a personal opportunity for students to pursue their studies at one of the participating universities while remaining a degree candidate at their home university, and to grow from the experience of living in a foreign culture. It also allows for language improvement.