The Hindu Business Line : French Embassy to woo more Indian students

The French Embassy in India is working on several initiatives to woo more Indian university students to study in France, Mr Philippe Martinet, Counsellor for Culture and Cooperation in the Embassy of France in India, has said.

From next year, there will be an increase in the number of scholarships awarded to Indian students for study in France. At the same time, the system of awarding scholarships to Indian students wanting to study in France is being redesigned. More attention is also being given to spreading awareness about the scholarships available for study in France, he added.

In February next year, `EduFrance fairs' will be held in New Delhi, Pune and Chennai, with participation from several renowned French educational institutions, Mr Martinet said. The EduFrance service in India is also working on a new Internet-based application process for courses at French universities.

Also on the anvil are regular cultural familiarisation sessions for Indian students heading for French institutions. These sessions will introduce the students to the basics of life in France, he added.

Mr Martinet and his team are also in the midst of reorganising the French language courses offered by the Alliance Francaise network in India. From January next year, all its centres will offer students the same, internationally recognised DELF/DALF diploma. Over the past few years, the number of Indians studying French has grown and this trend seems set to continue, Mr Martinet said.

There are also plans to develop French language courses catering to the needs of specific groups such as professionals working in the tourism industry.