The Higher Education Review

A country located in Western Europe and bordered by Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, France is a diverse country, with rich culture. Although, they say France doesn't just have culture, instead it is the word ‘culture’ which actually comes from France. 'Culture' derives its name from the same French term, which in turn derives from the Latin colere that mean to tend to the earth and grow, cultivation and nurture. Established in 1949, Collège de Paris is one of the most renowned higher education institutes of France. Set up with the mission of promoting French excellence through training, the institute operates on three values: International Openness, Pedagogical Excellence and Individualized Support for Students.

Keeping up with its inception objective, Collège de Paris has its programs specifically designed to welcome international students and allow French students to complete their internship or part of their training abroad. Major programs offered at the institute include Bachelors in Business Administration, MS International Marketing, MS Food and Beverage, MS Fashion And Luxury Goods, MS Tourism And Hospitality, Global MBA, and MS Information Technology. Studying at Collège de Paris means choosing to study in an ecosystem that is particularly supportive of entrepreneurship and innovations. The college also offers ‘My study in France’ programme which will let the students obtain a higher education qualification in French in an area of excellence.

Also, the teaching staff at Collège de Paris is welltrained to teach multicultural and multilingual groups. Individualized student guidance is one of the founding values of Collège de Paris. Each teacher at the institute integrates this dimension into his or her mission. In particular, the teaching staff for the international programs is also used to respond to the particular demands of foreign students. Undoubtedly, the success of all its student is always the main concern of Collège de Paris.

Olivier de Lagarde, Président, Collège de Paris says, “The knowledge economy in general and higher education in particular is a predominantly dynamic in France. This is strongly supported by the French Government from technical degrees to high-level academic research. With over 10,000 students, the Collège de Paris is one of the key players in vocational training for young

people and our main emphasis is to make excellence accessible to the greatest number of people.”

In an exclusive interaction with the Higher Education Review team, Olivier de Lagarde, Président, Collège de Paris highlights on various points that celebrate the uniqueness of Collège de Paris.

• What makes College De Paris different from other higher education institutes across France?
Collège de Paris is a network of schools which gives it a unique diversity as compared to most high education institutes in France. With respect to geographical diversity, we are present in different French metropolises (Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, Strasbourg) while our Cultural diversity welcomes more than 2500 international students per year. Finally, thematic diversity, which at the Collège de Paris will find Design Schools, Computer Science Schools, Business Schools, Medical Schools and Language Schools.

• Throw some light on the Master's courses offered at College De Paris and how has this benefitted the students pursuing various courses at your Business School?
We offer Master's level programs in fields related to French know-how which includes Luxury & Fashion, Design, Gastronomy, Food and Beverage Hospitality, Tourism, Information Technology and much more. Also, to add to it, we offer an original Global MBA program, part of which takes place abroad at one of our partner universities. We offer both on-campus and online courses.

”Set up with the mission of promoting French excellence through training, Collège de Paris operates on three values: International Openness, Pedagogical Excellence and Individualized Support for Students”

• What are the popular courses that most Indian students opt for when they decide to pursue higher studies at College De Paris?
While we have a range of courses for international students to pick from, MS in International Marketing and the Global MBA are particularly attractive because they give access to a wide variety of jobs. We have also noted, in recent years, a growing interest in IT programs such as Data Science, Cyber Security and the Internet of Things.

• Most students who have pursued their studies in India often feel a great amount of difference about life at the campus once they go abroad. How does College De Paris help students through this transition?
Thanks to the French as a Foreign Language school, Elfe, founded in 1984, College de Paris has a great experience in welcoming people from all over the world. While the staff at the

college strives to provide the best service to students, Collège de Paris also has a permanent team that is dedicated to international students. Also, if necessary, our team in India can also liaise with the students' families to make the feel welcomed at all times.

• What are the benefits for an Indian student studying at France?
All International students at France get numerous opportunities to showcase their skills and talent and Collège de Paris leaves no stone unturned to ensure this. The major benefit for Indian students studying in France is that they get two-years stay back option, they can do parttime jobs during their studies and also, after completing their Masters or MBA degree, if a student gets a permanent job contract then they can also apply for permanent residency. In addition to this, the Indian students at the Collège de Paris, like all international students in France, benefit from the assistance that the Government provides to students, particularly in terms of housing and health insurance.

• Are there any internship opportunities and placement guidance programs that you offer to your students?
We have an exclusive partnership with a company called Angel-Jobs.fr which is a French Company, whose vocation is to accompany and assist international students in their search for internship opportunities or jobs. In order to facilitate the placement, I strongly recommend Indian students to take French courses as soon aspossible upto Level A2 Minimum and we will teach 1 level of French language with the curriculum: this is a great help in the search for a company. As for our favourite Indian alumni, I will simply quote our Head of Marketing, Mr Asif Syed.

• What would be your advice to future students looking to pursue their Master's courses in France? What are your promises to Indian students?
First of all, I encourage them to apply, they are welcome in France! Then, as I said before, it is very useful - not indispensable but useful to take French courses to acquire at least the basics. My promise to Indian students is threefold – firstly, they are preparing a state recognized professional certification at the Collège de Paris; secondly, they will be able to partially finance their studies by working 20 hours a week thanks to their student visa, and at the end of their course, they will have the opportunity to continue their studies abroad thanks to our network of partners or to look for a job in France thanks to the stay back option. Collège de Paris is the first vocational training network that individually supports each student towards employment and success. Don't miss your chance to come and study in France at one of its prestigious institutes- Collège de Paris!