France Targets 30,000 Indian Students by 2030: President Emmanuel Macron

France is making a strong effort to become a more desirable option for Indian students, which is a significant departure from the historically preferred United Kingdom and Canada. On his official “X” (formerly Twitter) account, President of France Emmanuel Macron presented an ambitious plan to welcome 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030. The post shared by President Macron reads, “30,000 Indian students in France in 2030. It’s a very ambitious target, but I am determined to make it happen.”

President Macron outlined a comprehensive plan to ease the influx of Indian students and stated his determination to accomplish this goal. The initiative, named “French for All, French for a Better Future,” calls for the establishment of new language learning pathways in public schools to promote proficiency in French. The launch of new French learning centres and the growth of the Alliances françaises network will mark the beginning of the initiative.

Furthermore, France intends to establish international classes that will allow students without prior French competence to enrol in the country’s universities. Not to mention, there would be a simplified visa application process for former Indian students who have studied in France.

With 35 French universities presently included in the QS Ranking and roughly 15 in the Times Higher Education Ranking, President Macron underlined that “Coming to France means looking for excellence”. This commitment is consistent with France’s goal of establishing itself as a major international academic hub.

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The move comes at a time when the United Kingdom and Canada, previously renowned for their academic excellence and multicultural environments, are experiencing a decline in international student allure. Changes in the UK’s policies, such as the tightening of post-study work visas, and challenges like the housing crisis in Canada have led students to explore alternative destinations for higher education.

With this announcement, President Macron offers students looking for viable alternatives a ray of hope and presents France as a plausible choice. The French government’s pledge to accept a sizeable influx of Indian students by 2030 demonstrates how much it values the contributions that foreign students make to the nation’s academic environment and cultural diversity.