Cultural exchange: French cultural centre to be set up at UAF soon

French delegates discuss education opportunities for Pakistani students in France.

FAISALABAD:

The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) will soon have a French cultural centre.

This was decided on Wednesday at a meeting between the vice chancellor and Fredric Bessat, counsel for cooperation at the French Embassy in Islamabad.

Bessat said the centre would offer French language classes and hoped that it would serve as a platform for cultural exchange.

He said the French government had been promoting bilateral relations with Pakistan with main focus on education. He said he would be happy to see more Pakistani students taking interest in pursuing higher education in France.



He said the cultural centre at UAF would also facilitate students from other universities.

Bessat said he was impressed by the fact that the UAF had the biggest number of teachers with their doctorates from France. There are 16 faculty members who are qualified from France.

He hoped that a Pak- France Alumni Association Chapter would be functional in Faisalabad soon. He said he saw great potential for UAF students to win competitive scholarships in France.

VC Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the present government had announced an attractive incentive package for the higher education sector, including 2,000 foreign scholarships. He said the government had also planned to set up two knowledge cities in the Punjab.

Dominique Scobry, the Alliance Francaise director, said that short French language courses were being offered at the National Textile University and the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management.

He said the French Embassy planned to expand the coaching facility to other institutes as well.



The French delegation later visited the Institute of Rural Home Economics’ arts and crafts exhibition and interacted with students.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.