JEDDAH — France is not only the land of the Musée du Louvre where the Mona Lisa sleeps or the famous Champs-Elysées but also is an educational destination for Saudi students who are seeking proper education and exploring a new culture. The number of Saudi scholarship students who went to France in 2012 reached 1,200, including many doctors in specialty training. Cultural, academic, scientific and technical cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia is covering three areas: training young Saudis, accompanying the introduction of the reforms desired by the King, and the development of French knowledge, language and culture. Sébastien Lafragette, Attaché de coopération et d'action culturelle, Consulat Général de France à Djeddah, told Saudi Gazette that Saudi students attend different courses in French u0niversities, mainly medicine, trade/management, engineering, economy, hard sciences, arts, architecture, law and French language. A majority of Saudi students go to Paris but more and more are attracted by big cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, Rouen, Toulouse and Strasbourg. Students are usually prepared by “Campus France” which is a French national agency that promotes French higher education abroad and facilitate and simplify administrative procedures for students. Campus France is supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministries of National Education and Higher Education and Research. “Campus France is in the cultural departments of the Embassy in Riyadh and the General Consulate in Jeddah where it helps Saudi students to chose the right place, to complete the administrative process and to get the visa,” said Lafragette. France is also known for its intensive medical programs, offering Saudi doctors the chance to spend several years in French University Hospitals to specialize. This program is both managed by the French Embassy in Riyadh and the Cultural Bureau of the Saudi Embassy in Paris. However, despite the ban of niqab in France, Lafragette believes that the French and Saudi actors of the bilateral cultural and educational cooperation are well aware of the cultural nuances and characteristics of both countries. In that regard, they get involved knowing and managing these cultural differences for the best between the two countries. “Actually, the number of cooperative projects and of student and teacher exchanges is increasing year after year,” he added. Although the French language is one of the major obstacles for Saudi students to go to France for education more French universities are offering English programs. However, some Saudi students chose French universities programs in French after following intensive French lessons before they leave for their studies. “The French language is seen by the best companies as a decisive asset when they recruit young people, especially in the Middle East region. It is not only about being able to communicate in French, it is also about a specific way of thinking and structuring the mind that is highly appreciated by managers,” Lafragette added. However, Saudi Arabia, a culturally challenging environment for some Europeans, attracts very few French students who would only come to the Kingdom in places like KAUST or to study religion in Makkah and Madinah. “Nonetheless, we have very dynamic bilateral programs allowing French teachers and researchers to come to Saudi universities. Moreover, some Saudi students go to France in the framework of a strong bilateral program,” Lafragette explained. The King Abdallah Scholarship program is a major vehicle for attracting young Saudi people to French universities. However, Lafragette believes that if the teaching of French language was allowed in more Saudi schools and universities it would push more young Saudis to chose France for their studies, at least in a proportion more adequate to the size of the Kingdom's student population. There is no doubt that France has one of the richest cultures in the world. The French Embassy's cultural relationship with the Kingdom offers French organizations working in the field of culture, academia and research, vocational training and the teaching of French interesting perspectives, especially related to the vision of the King and authorities of the country to diversify partnerships in order to make the country a key driver of the knowledge economy in the region.
