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Promoting French higher education

In today’s world, an international curriculum gives you an edge, professionally speaking. It is also a personal experience any student should have, regardless of the nationality and the quality of education in his or her native country.

Recruiters are well aware of the degrees’ value as they are assessed, especially by business oriented magazines. For instance in the Financial Times’ Business schools ranking, four French Schools are in the top 10 (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP Europe, Grenoble Business School). Keeping these statistics in mind, earning a French degree is definitely a plus for any student.

Claire Bertolotti, representative for CampusFrance, a national agency for the promotion of French higher education abroad said: “CampusFrance’s main missions are the organisation of events with local universities to promote French higher education (presentations, participation in career fairs), liaising with local universities and French universities and elite schools to establish partnerships such as exchange of students, exchange of teachers, co-diploma and guidance for students to help them identify suitable programmes and comply with visa regulations and other administrative requirements prior to their arrival in France. All these services are free of charge.”

Campusfrance offices in the UAE opened in September last year in Dubai and in January this year in Abu Dhabi. “There are already partnerships between French institutions and universities here,” said Claire. “For instance, since the beginning of this year, a joint Doctor of Business Administration has been offered by the HCT and Grenoble school of management. Since February 2009, an agreement between Abu Dhabi University and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) offers MBA students at Abu Dhabi University the opportunity to earn a second MBA degree in International Business from ENPC Paris. In June this year, ADEC and Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris signed a memorandum of understanding to send Emirati students to Paris for summer courses on European policies. We are hopeful that further developments will take place, for instance in the engineering and nuclear areas, as different French universities have been introduced to UAE institutions since the beginning of the year.”

The quality of French higher education has actually been acknowledged by the Government of Abu Dhabi. Prestigious French schools are now established here in the framework of partnerships with ADEC, Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and INSEAD Business School.

France has a long tradition of scientific research and technological innovation and its research is attractive — 40 per cent of doctorate students in France are from abroad. Also, it is a plus to speak French as it gives students access to the world’s francophone countries.

“To learn the French language means to be understood almost everywhere as French is a global language,” said Claire. “A French degree offers the possibility of a career with one of the many French companies that operate across the world or with an Emirati company operating in French speaking countries.”

CampusFrance will be exhibiting at the JNAJAH education, training and careers event from October 18 to 20.

news@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE