Higher education in France : open to the world

A new policy on welcoming students from abroad :

1997 :

• 150,000 foreign students in France

1998 :

• founding of the EduFrance agency for promoting French higher education abroad
• implementation of a grant system for foreign students (bourses d’excellence [excellence grants] and French government grants)
• striving to standardize diplomas across Europe so as to make them more comprehensible (licence, master’s and PhD)
• new procedures for study visas

2003 :

• 220,000 foreign students in France

2004 :

• launch of “Attractivité de la France”, a new government initiative that includes measures to encourage foreign students to come and study in France