Campus France and Institut Français in the UAE organize ‘Choose France UAE’ event at the Expo 2020 France Pavilion
Campus France and Institut Français in the UAE organize ‘Choose France UAE’ event at the Expo 2020 France Pavilion
Dubai , 14 December 2021: The French Embassy to the UAE, with its cultural department Institut Franais and Campus France, the French public agency in charge of promoting French higher education in the UAE and worldwide, are collaborating in organizing this years Choose France UAE, an educational fair held in the country every two years.
Since the first edition in 2021, Choose France UAE has aimed to promote French higher education by offering students the opportunity to study in France, explore undergraduate and graduate programs, scholarship opportunities, and learn about student visa requirements.
The 6th edition of Choose France UAE education fair took place on 9th December 2021 at the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and 11th December 2021 at the Alliance Franaise of Dubai in the presence of a delegation from 14 French higher education institutions specializing in Engineering and Business, based in France and in the UAE, such as Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.
The key highlight of the event included three main sessions that happened on 10th December 2021 at the France Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai. Institutional meetings between French and Emirati higher education institutions were held during the opening session. The delegation of 14 French institutions met with several Emirati institutions (United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic) to develop and implement academicexchange programmesas part ofbilateralagreements.
The second session of the event was Study in France: Learn, Innovate and Build the Future, a conference that discussed innovation in the educational field. Ms. Frdrique Vidal, the French Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation inaugurated the conference via a video display. The conference progressed with a presentation from representatives of French Lab showcasing a sophisticated Chatbot available on Facebook and Messenger designed for linguists interested in learning the French language through an AI tutor. EPF Engineering School discussed the importance of innovation, creativity, and a multidisciplinary approach in engineering educational practices to contribute and achieve a sustainable higher education. The conference carried out until its last part where a sequence was dedicated to high-profile alumni of French higher education where they shared their testimonies, achievements, and experiences studying in France to encourage the public to a beneficial international education journey. An innovation awards ceremony concluded the conference purposely aimed to recognize innovative local projects developed by alumni in the UAE. The award ceremony was presided by Xavier Chatel, Ambassador of France to the UAE, and Thierry Valentin, Deputy Director General of Campus France Paris. The final session of Choose France UAE highlight event was a cocktail reception that allowed attendees to network and share their expertise.
Choose France UAE event is aligned with the concrete objective developed by the government in November 2018 and which aims to welcome 500,000 students from all over the world to France by 2027. France started welcoming more Emirati students, and in just 5 years, the number of Emirati students has increased to 8%, wherein 2020-2021, 208 Emirati students were already studying in France. Agreements, partnerships, and events such as Choose France UAE continuously strengthen the strategic campaign to bring international and Emirati students to study in France.
Aashif Shaikh
Mumbai, India