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Are you planning to pursue higher education abroad after completing your board exams next year? It’s high time that you explored the scenic country of France as an overseas higher education destination.
Why France?
French government, on October 11, held a one-day education fair in Kolkata to woo Indian students and apprise them of the over 1,500 courses on the higher studies platter, particularly at public universities in that country, at an affordable cost as well as the scholarships available.
“We want to welcome more Indian students. Currently, we have less than 10,000 Indian students studying in France. The President of France, has set the goal of getting 30,000 Indian students at French institutes by 2030,” Didier Talpain, French Consul General in Kolkata, told the media.
“The French government has a very active policy to welcome students. Lot of grants are being provided to students taking admission in public universities. There are also several grants given by the institutions themselves,” he added.
Moreover, on completion of the course, Indian students opting for higher education in France will be eligible for a five-year short-stay visa and a two-year post-study work visa. This was also announced by the French diplomat at the fair organised by France’s global education arm.
The response
“Sounds interesting,” quips Seema, a Class XII student of Heritage School. “I have been exploring Britain and the US for doing my higher studies after the board exams. But France could be a viable option as well. I will definitely discuss this with my father.”
“Though it’s a bit early to think about my son’s future education plans, the courses and scholarships on the platter for Indian students give me ample reason to consider France as a higher education destination for him. Higher education in India is getting costlier by the day,” says Amita Sinha, a parent of a DPS-Delhi student.
“Worth looking at France as a possible overseas higher education destination for my daughter. Britain and the US are crowded with Asian students. My daughter already knows French as she studies it as a foreign language in the school,” says Raj Sharma, a parent of a Class IX student in Delhi.
Dr Soumya Madan, the CEO of Interactive Learning Studio in Gurgaon, says apart from coaching centres for board exam students, they run a counselling unit for those willing to go for higher education overseas.
“We usually tell students and parents to go for English speaking countries due to the language barrier. Now, we could suggest France too. We prefer the overseas as a possible destination as students get the opportunity to settle down there in the future as well,” he adds.
