Top French universities reach out to Indian students and explain advantages of studying in France

Institut Français en Inde (French Institute in India), the educational, cultural, and scientific wing of the Embassy of France in India, is organizing ‘Choose France Tour 2022’ to showcase to Indian students varied avenues for pursuing advanced studies at world class French universities with the option to avail liberal scholarships.

It is undertaking this initiative in collaboration with Campus France, a French government agency that counsels international students seeking to pursue higher studies in the country.

“Choose France Tour 2022 will bring together the amazing academic talent of Indian students, and France’s world-class institutes of learning,” said Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India.

Representatives of 37 leading universities are here to inform students of the options available in the varied fields of management, engineering, hospitality, humanities, arts, architecture, design to list a few.

Choose France Tour 2022 reached Bengaluru after Kochi on Thursday. A daylong event was held at Taj West End, where hundreds of students participated despite a heavy downpour. The students came from several colleges including Christ University, St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, and ISBR Business School among others.

Starting the day’s proceedings, the Consul General of France in Bengaluru, Thierry Berthelot, said that there are 1700 plus programmes taught in English across France. “Language is not a barrier anymore to study in France,” he asserted.


Prof. Thimmegowda, Vice Chairman, KSHEC (Karnataka State Higher Education Council), expressed willingness to work with the French consulate in Bengaluru in the field of academics.

He informed that changes in the higher education policy is being initiated that will facilitate a foreign degree to a student in India.

“The emphasis of education should be on employability,” he said, while speaking on the importance of research and development and collaboration with western universities.


Dr Francois-Xavier Mortreuil, Attaché for Sciences and Higher Education, French Embassy, South India, made a presentation that highlighted some of the inherent advantages of studying in France.

Language is not a barrier anymore, cost of living in France is less compared to other European countries, the courses allow mobility, work options, and medical insurance and liberal scholarships are available, the presentation pointed out.

There are some 1700 curriculums offered by 32 universities and 15 business schools to choose from. These centers of learning are amongst the best in the world with 72 Nobel prizes to their credit. And the multicultural nature of the academia is a matter of pride: 42% of scholars enrolled in Phd programmes are foreigners.


There is an added incentive for Indian students to pursue higher studies in France, pointed out Dr Mortreuil, as there are more than 1000 companies working in India that are either French or in collaboration with a French enterprise.

The companies include Airbus, Renault, Decathlon, L’Oréal and many more. Such companies will be inclined to offer jobs to students who studied in France for they would be culturally compatible.

Some of these bigger companies have started two dozen research centers where Indians who studied in France will have an advantage, he stated. - TWL Bureau