French President Macron aims to attract 30,000 Indian students by 2030

French President Emmanuel Macron visited India as a chief guest to commemorate its 75th Republic Day. 

Macron also announced a great initiative for the Indian youth.

In an interview with Brut India’s VP and Editor-in-Chief, Mehak Kasbekar, Emmanuel Macron shed some light on his plans and the cooperation between the two countries.

Here are the key takeaways.

Inviting 30,000 Indian students to France

• India has a large, vibrant, and creative youth population, with talented individuals in diverse fields such as art, science, and more.
• Macron believes that India has a better education system.
• The French President wants to encourage and convince young people and students to come to Paris, which will be a key entry point to not just Europe, but Africa as well.
• A key priority for France is to substantially increase the number of Indian students studying in France to 30,000 by the year 2030.

Accelerated Visa process

France is working to accelerate and ease visa processes for Indian students to facilitate this goal.

New Initiative 

• Emmanuel Macron has also launched a new initiative called “Classes Internationales,”.
• This program provides an immersive bilingual education and a direct route to esteemed universities in France, focusing primarily on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines.
• It also offers supplementary opportunities in social sciences and economics.

France’s student visa process

1. Determine your visa type

• Short-stay visa (Schengen visa): Valid for stays up to 90 days. Suitable for short courses, language programs, or research stays.
• Long-stay visa (VLS-TS): Valid for stays exceeding 90 days. Required for most degree programs and long-term research projects.

2. Register on the Etudes en France platform:

• Create an account and complete your online application form.
• Upload all required documents electronically.
• Pay the application fee.

3. Collect the required documents:

• Valid passport with at least two blank pages and a validity exceeding your stay in France by 3 months.
• Two recent passport-sized photographs.
• Proof of acceptance from a recognized educational institution in France.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources to cover your living expenses in France (approximately €615 per month). This could include bank statements, scholarship letters, or sponsorship documents.
• Proof of health insurance covering your entire stay in France.
• Proof of accommodation in France (e.g., residence permit, lease agreement).
• Motivation letter explaining your reasons for studying in France.
• Language proficiency test results (if required by your chosen program).

4. Schedule an appointment at the French consulate or embassy in your home country:

• Attend the appointment in person to submit your application and have your fingerprints taken.
• The consul may ask you some questions about your study plans and living arrangements.

5. Wait for a decision:

• The processing time for visa applications can vary, but it is generally between 2 and 8 weeks.
• You will be notified of the decision by email or phone.

Wrapping Up…

According to Statista, in 2022, about 750,000 students from India emigrated to study abroad.

The number of students emigrating from India was the highest that year. Australia, Canada, and the United States of America were the countries with the highest numbers of Indian students during the measured period.

Here are the stats on the number of Indian students who study overseas.

Currently, China has the highest number of students pursuing education overseas, with India following closely behind.

But with initiatives like Macron’s, India may just beat China as the largest contributor to the pool of international students.

Will Indian students consider France when it comes to higher education?