France competes for foreign students

Paul Michaud, Contributor, Paris

French universities -- which years ago managed to groom students who later became leaders of the political world, including former president of Senegal Leopold Sedar Senghor and former president of Sri Lanka Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga -- say they will be making a greater effort to persuade leading foreign students to continue their studies in Paris.

The tougher competition against institutions of higher education in the U.S., the UK, Germany and, the latest, the Soviet Union, has made France lose its attractiveness to foreign students little by little. Indeed, France appeared to go out of its way to be most unwelcome and indifferent to the needs of students from abroad.

French universities will now announce that they want and need more foreign students to change the current situation. The Cite Universitaire, located in southern Paris, has long become one of the world's largest concentrations of foreign students. Its dormitories are currently under renovation as they have not been rehabilitated since the 1950s, some even before World War II.

All universities will also change their image as a most unwelcome place for foreign students. They will take the bull by the horns and roll out the red carpet for the 30,000 students who annually come to study in France, notably Paris.

The idea came from Christiane Prigeant, a professor of art history at the Sorbonne University, five years ago. She personally invited the foreign students to take part in Epiphany Day, the holy day observed every Jan. 6, by sharing a special cake of la galette des Rois.

"With a few friends, we all decided to organize special get- acquainted visits for new students to show them the sights of Paris. It's something they would not necessarily be able to do upon their arrival in the city."

Therefore, a free, guided tour of Paris is now available at the program organized by the University of Paris I, the official name of the Sorbonne. The program will also provide contacts to ensure they are not left on their own when arriving in Paris.

"We realize that we don't have the same kind of campuses that you find in London, Vienna and Edinburgh. Those cities can more easily welcome new students, but we've decided to do our best," said Prigeant.

The free, guided tour program is currently being extended to all universities in Paris by the Association des Universites Parisiennes (AUP) -- which groups together all institutions of higher education in the city.

And this, says director of international relations at the Sorbonne Jean Kawecki, "is part of a process that will see us increasingly expand our welcome services."

The services will include facilities, such as better access to housing in Paris and assistance with the often complex administrative procedures for foreign students when they arrive in France.