The new French strategy for attracting international students

In his opening address to the “Rencontres Campus France de la Francophonie” on 19 November 2019, the French Prime Minister announced a new national strategy for attracting and hosting international students. In the context of growing global competition, this new strategy will allow 500,000 international students to study in France by the year 2027, with a focus on French-speaking students, African students and students from major emerging markets.

Several complementary actions have been defined: to simplify the administrative procedures for obtaining a visa and for accommodation; to improve and to fund the quality of hosting structures in universities, with the creation of a specific fund and a quality seal; to increase the enrollment fees for non-European students, to contribute financially to this national initiative; to triple the number of scholarships offered by the French government and universities; to invest in the development of French campuses in Africa, in partnership with local institutions; to increase the number of courses of French as a foreign language, and at the same time to develop the number of courses in English; to develop partnerships and double degrees, with the aim of doubling the current number by 2027; to open up possibilities for seeking employment or setting up a business for all foreign alumni of French higher education.

The process of constructing this strategy, and its first results, will be presented with a specific focus on the Franco-Brazilian relationship.