Higher education in France

General presentation about Higher education in France 

In France, there are a large number of higher education programmes available, accessible to foreign students whether they speak French or not.

French higher education involves 2.5 million students. 12% of them are from abroad. All of them are benefiting from highly diversified training, and they are enrolled in every field, at every level.

There are more than 3,500 public and private institutes of higher education in France: 72 universities, 25 multi-institute campuses, 271 Doctoral schools, 227 engineering schools authorised to award the title of engineer, 220 business and management schools, 45 post-secondary public schools of art, 22 schools of architecture and 3,000 private schools and institutes.

Mutual recognition of academic qualifications between France and India

The agreement was inked on 10th of March 2018 during the India-France Knowledge Summit, the first high-level summit for university, scientific and technological cooperation held by the two countries. It is the first such intergovernmental agreement that India has entered into.

As per the signed agreement, the Bachelor, MAster and PHD’s degree as well as All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) (CBSE, state boards, pre –university (PU) or any equivalent qualification recognised by the Government of India) are now recognised by the French government. 

In the meantime french Baccalauréat, License, Master and Doctorat (equivalent of PHD) are now recognised by the Indian government

10 Reasons to Choose France

1. France is the first country who signed a mutual recognition agreement with India
2. A French degree gives you access to the 570 French companies operating in India
3. Over 500 French scholarships are available to Indian students.
4. The richness and diversity offered by the French system make it easy to find an educational program that matches your background and goals
5. Programmes are professionally oriented and combine theory and practice and use professional tools in real-world settings
6. 1500 French programmes are taught in English
7. France is the world’s fourth-largest destination for international students and the leading non-English speaking destination
8. Learn French, learn the official language of over 30 countries across 5 continents
9. France tops research and innovation with over 64 Nobel Laureates and 15 Fields Medals
10. An environment favorable to innovation and to young entrepreneurs

Application and admission procedure

Students can have any information about higher studies in France via the campus France network. Campus France is a government agency that operates under the French Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of higher Education and Research. In India the Campus France network is part of the cooperation service of the French Embassy in India.

We provide personalized counselling sessions and organize various workshops throughout the year for students looking to pursue study in France. These sessions help students acquire relevant and necessary information about the programs offered by different French institutions. 

Every Tuesday, we organize thematic webinars available of the Facebook page of Campus France India, and every Thursday with have live on Instagram to answer students’ questions and welcome special guest sharing their experiences and feedback. 

We organize many free events like Choose France Tour with French Institutions representatives, Tech Fair, other international fairs, Pre-departure sessions.

Coming choose France tour

On 26-27 februray 2021, more than 30 French schools and institutions will gather to meet students on a virtual platform.

This includes management and engineering schools, public universities and specialized schools in hospitality and arts. Each institution will have its own booth and will be reachable via chats.

From the safety of their home, students will get a unique opportunity for  one-on-one meetings  with the schools. These individual e-meetings will allow them to share their CV and receive free counseling, directly from the schools, on how to apply next year!

Choose France Tour will take place on a virtual platform with various spaces to connect:

- various thematic showrooms for school booths, for one-on-one meetings

- three e-auditorium for live events, during which institutions and alumni will reply live to questions on various themes: thematic fields of studies, scholarships, application processes. Games and quiz with various exciting prizes and vouchers will also be organized.

8 webinars will also be live during the choose France tour:

• Women in sciences and technology 

• Tourism and hospitality: how to adapt to the COVID 19 crisis? 

• Learning french - J'apprends le français ! 

• What to expect from a business school? 

• CV and SOP

• Find my program to study in France

• Scholarship, Internship and Employability in France

• Let's get cultural! French art and design schools 

It’s a totally free events and registration are open: cft.ifindia.in 

Scholarships

The French government spends over 1 million euros (around 10 crores) in financial assistance to Indian students every year through government and co-financed scholarships. 

The French government scholarship programme in India is called Charpak and it aims at supporting existing cooperation between French and Indian institutions in the field of higher education. It provides funding to the students for Master’s degrees, research internships and exchange semesters and allows them to study at different levels at undergraduate or postgraduate in public and private institutions in France.  

1. Charpak Master: This programme is offered to Indian students admitted in a master programme in France. The scholarship is renewable once, upon request and examination of the results obtained, for master 1 students admitted to master 2. 

2. Charpak Research Internship: The scholarship programme is open to graduate and post graduate students pursuing studies in engineering, science and economics and wish to attend a training course at a French laboratory or university during their academic break.

3. Charpak Exchange Program: The scholarship programme is open to Indian students of all profiles studying at the bachelor’s or master's level, leaving for a semester of study in France in the framework of a partnership between their Indian establishment and a French host institution. The scholarship covers a period corresponding to an academic semester i.e. a maximum of 4 months. Charpak exchange is offered twice a year: Autumn session (September) and Spring session (January).

The awardees of the scholarship are selected on the basis of academic excellence as well as the consistence and quality of the statement of purpose. The benefits of these scholarships include a monthly stipend to cover daily expenses, free student visa, medical insurance coverage and assistance in finding affordable accommodation in France. The students enrolled in a master programme in a French higher education institution also receive a full tuition fee waiver at public universities or partial tuition fee waiver by other institutions according to their individual policies.

The call for application for Charpak Master and Lab scholarships are currently open. For application procedure and detailed information, visit https://www.inde.campusfrance.org/charpak-scholarship  

The French Embassy in India also promotes other scholarship schemes co-financed with private and public, industrial or academic partners at various levels and in different fields of study such as arts, engineering, management etc. The Raman-Charpak Fellowship is a scholarship programme implemented and offered by the French Embassy in India and Department of Science and Technology to PhD research students who intend to pursue part of their research at a French institution for 2–6 months. 

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs also awards scholarships under specific programmes (Eiffel scholarship of Excellence, MOPGA) to Indian students who wish to pursue their higher education in France. The scholarship programme funds master’s courses (for 12 to 36 months) and offers funding for PhD students to spend 10 months in France. 

Franco Indian Education Trust Scholarship: The Franco-Indian Education Trust, a not-for-profit organization, was established in August 2017. With the support of French Embassy in India, the Trust funds (through grants, scholarships, fellowships) the mobility of students, faculty, researchers, scholars, and professionals between France and India for long term or short term training or academic programme. 

There are currently three types of funding available through the Trust:

1. UGAM-Legrand Scholarship supports students to pursue their higher studies in France in the field of Engineering and Management. Students receive assistance in finding a job upon their return from France. 

2. Bahman Samandari Scholarship for Indian applicants who wish to pursue in gastronomy.

3. Shikhar Thales Scholarship students who wish to pursue their studies in the field of aerospace engineering