“We have set target of having 30,000 Indian students by 2030”: French envoy Thierry Mathou

France’s Ambassador to India, Thierry Mathou, highlighted the nation’s commitment to strengthening Indo-French educational ties during the Choose France Tour 2024. He further said that the tour aims to attract Indian students to France, with a goal of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030.

Mathou spoke on Wednesday during the Choose France Tour 2024’s New Delhi leg, emphasising the significance of Indo-French educational collaborations.

The Choose France Tour 2024 is currently underway in India, featuring over 50 French schools and institutions showcasing their academic programmes to Indian students. This multi-city education tour, which kicked off on October 19 and will conclude on October 27, is being held in Mumbai, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, according to the official website of Choose France Tour 2024.

Speaking to ANI, Mathou said, “As a part of the ‘Choose France Tour 2024’, we will go to around five cities – Chandigarh, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Till now, more than 11,000 students and parents have registered. We have 57 universities and academics from different fields.”

He added, “At the core of the strategic partnership between France and India, we have set a target of having at least 30,000 Indian students by 2030.”

Elaborating further on the relationship between India and China, Mathou said, “We want students to become ambassadors of the strategic partnership between France and India… French companies have invested a lot in India. More than 700 companies are investing in India. They create more than 5 lakh jobs… Indian students who go to study in France have opportunities to come back to India and be part of this partnership. That is the rationale of our intention and strategy and I am very pleased to be here.”

On being asked about the most popular programmes, the French Ambassador said, “So far, the most popular programmes are business courses. However, we want to attract Indian students in other sectors like engineering, and hospitality.”

Notably, the Choose France Tour 2024 tour includes management and engineering schools, public universities, and specialised schools in hospitality and the arts, where the students will have the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with these schools and receive free counselling directly from the schools on how to apply for the next academic year.