Connect with France

By Ayesha Banerjee. France wants Indian students. “When former French president Nicolas Sarkozy visted India in 2010, it was felt that the number of Indian students in France should increase from the current 3000 to 6000 by 2013,” says Helene Duchene, director of mobility and attractiveness at the French ministry of foreign and European affairs.
India is important for France because both countries share the same views when it comes to democracy. France supports India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, the countries are collaborating on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and IIT Rajasthan has been founded in collaboration with France, among many other things,”  Duchene adds.
Fabienne Couty, also from the ministry, says, “The quality of students coming from India is quite high, especially those from the IITs. So far, about 226 MoUs have been signed between schools and universities of the two countries,” she says.
When compared to the US or UK, the most preferred destinations of Indian students, France is relatively cheaper. “Education makes up 40% of the country’s budget – fees for the students is funded by the state, which comes to about ¤16,000  per student,” says Couty. For the country this is an investment for gaining high quality students, she adds. International students also get some financial help for accommodation. Read more...