Want to study in France? International students welcome, says new campaign

14 May 2020

If you have been planning to study in France, the message of this new Campus France campaign should be music to your ears.

As international students are thrown into uncertainty in higher education hotspots around the world, France assures that its doors remain open via the education promotion agency.

In a campaign video, Campus France director Beatrice Khaiat said, “I want to address you, international students who plan to study abroad and tell you: Choose France, you are welcome in France.

To all international students, 🇫🇷 is waiting for you for the next academic year! 👩‍🎓👨‍🎓@BeatriceKhaiat, General Managing Director of #CampusFrance and @jacquesfayolle, President of the @Cdefi have a message for you #BienvenueEnFrance #onvousattend #ChooseFrance #inscrivezvous pic.twitter.com/qYgyt1epVB

— Campus France (@CampusFrance) May 5, 2020

Khaiat went on to recognise these students who are part of the scientific community in “labs and universities who are fighting to find a treatment and vaccine” for COVID-19.

“You are part of the researchers [in] France; we need you, we want you, you are expected here,” she said.

President of the alliance of management schools Conference des Grandes École Alice Guilhon added, “More than ever, your openness, cultural, linguistic, and digital knowledge will be essential for your entry into this new economy.”

International students are welcome to study in France at various higher education institutions. They can step into any Campus France offices worldwide to seek advice and help with their application.

If students can’t travel to France yet, these students can start online programmes at the turn of the academic year in September.

Why all are welcome to study in France

Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy making hydroalcoholic gel for healthcare workers in the University of Strasbourg. Source: Frederick Florin/AFP

Each of the 13 regions in metropolitan France has a rich higher education cluster. There is also a national research strategy in place in line with Horizon 2020 — the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over seven years — to encourage scientific innovation.

The agenda marked the beginning of the internationalisation of France’s higher education sector. President Emmanuel Macron has picked up the mantle since taking over in 2017, encouraging autonomy and flexibility in higher education institutions.

Over 40 percent of PhD students at French research universities are foreign-born, according to HED Club.

The PIE News reports that France welcomed 358,000 international students in 2018/19, making up 10 percent of total higher education enrollments in the country.

This places it among the top five host countries for international students. Approximately 40 percent of its international students come from Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy, Tunisia and Senegal.

Stronger African ties on the horizon

The internationalisation of higher education has become a priority under the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron. Source: Ludovic Marin/AFP

Building on its long history with Francophone Africa, the French government recently announced that it would pump up to €3.5 million into African economies.

Under the Bienvenue en France strategy, the Partenariats avec l’enseignement supérieur africain (PEA) aims to establish “long-term partnership projects between one or more French Higher Education institutes and an African Higher Education institute, for graduate, Master and PhD courses in some given activity sectors.”

PEA targets 18 African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Comores, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Chad and Togo.