Emmanuel Macron Launches 'Classes Internationales'; What it Means For Indian Students?

President of France Emmanuel Macron has announced that from September 2024, Indian students can learn French for one year before pursuing their chosen programme in the country. The initiative is being launched as part of ‘Classes Internationales’. One million euros of additional funding for the Indo-French Campus for Life Sciences is also part of the initiative.

Students interested can register themselves at classesinternationales.org by March 31. The programme is open to all Indian students and they must be academically excellence. Furthermore, students will also be offered scholarships at the end of Classes Internationales. As many as 35 French universities are presently included in the QS Ranking and around 15 in the Times Higher Education Ranking.

“In Classes Internationales, you spend between a semester and an academic year at a school that prepares you for admission to a university, engineering, or management school to continue your studies in French. You’ll be welcomed by a complete team, alongside other international students, Indians, and people of all nationalities, to support your progress in learning French,” states the official website.

During his recent visit to India, Macron said that France intends to establish international classes that will allow students without prior French competence to enroll in the country’s universities. He had also said there would be a simplified visa application process for former Indian students who have studied in France.

Macron had also presented a plan to welcome 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030. Sharing a post on microblogging site X, he said, “30,000 Indian students in France in 2030. It’s a very ambitious target, but I am determined to make it happen.”

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