Campus France: Bringing French schools closer to Ugandan students

If one randomly asked a Ugandan learner their first choice destination for further studies, very few would mention France.

A majority opt for countries like the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, India and many more have been lured by opportunities in Turkiye, South Africa and next door Kenya.

Statistics over the past decade back that up. But, in a bid to boost relations with Uganda, the French government, through Campus France, is running a holistic plan to increase the intake of students from Uganda.

Campus France, which is the French agency for the promotion of higher education, international student services, and international mobility, is set to host some 30 of France’s top schools in Uganda next year.

Academic officials from varying education backgrounds will be hosted at a Ugandan student- French school expo over four days next March.

“The sole purpose of this expo is to bring French schools with courses mostly taught in English physically closer to the Ugandan students,” said Mercy Twinomujuni, the head of Campus France - Uganda (CFU).

The proposed expo is a culmination of a conference dubbed ‘Café-croissant’ held in Paris early this month where CFU officials met with French schools. “We aimed at presenting to them with opportunities that they can get if they took in Ugandan students,” said Twinomujuni.

“It was kind of a research or exchange program with an aim of bringing them to a physical study expo in March. A majority had never heard of Uganda but they were excited.”

Some of the participating French schools included those with backgrounds in political science, engineering, business, languages and research.

Early this year, a French delegation comprising Oumou Diakité and Olivier Chiche-Portiche early this year also met with vice chancellors and heads of different schools Makerere University among other 20 universities in a bid to furnish cooperation with counterparts in France.

In March, these tertiary institutions will meet French counterparts at the expo. One of major reasons for low in-takes of Ugandan students into French institutions has been the language factor as well as funding.

“We want to see more numbers of students attain a richer experience culturally in terms of tourism, internship anywhere else in the world, with visas open to the EU member countries and possible extensions by a year,” stated Twinomujuni, who acquired a Master of Arts in French for Spécific Purposes and Entrepreneurship from University d’Artois in Arras, northern France.

“With English programmes on offer, we are hoping a big number of people will take advantage of the opportunities. Before that, we continue to teach French through different arrangements in Uganda and we will organize CV workshops to prepare the students so they are ready to meet their prospective French schools,” she added.

A majority of alumni in French schools from Uganda are currently going to France are either self-sponsored or backed by the French government. CFU believes that the expo could unearth full scholarships directly from French schools.

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