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Good information, the key for success
The key for success in the definition of a project of studies lies
above all in a perfect knowledge of how the system works. Do not
let fate play a part in your future and take all the opportunities
to succeed ; use all the available resources on the matter.
First, this guide : the following chapters aim at helping you find
your way in this maze of training possible in the French higher
education, thanks to simple information, as rich as possible, and
thus, gives you the possibility to choose your own way.
A relative who studied in France or who is studying in France at
the moment can also be a very good help and support in the procedures
; he or she can also take some steps for you.
A sound piece of advice : always check the source of your information
and make sure it is still valid : the reforms of French higher education
are frequent, the texts relative to the foreign students often change
and educational establishments, for the same subjects, have an autonomy
as for the courses and the modalities of admission.
An experience to be followed
Maryse Noguez, in charge of the Service of information
for foreign students, university Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie.
" The service was created in 1989. The main idea was to set
up inside the university an information service for foreign
students. There were two reasons that for : the number of foreign
students was increasing year after year and the problems and
expectations of foreign students were specific to their status.
This is why a convention was signed between the University Paris
VI and the Paris Prefecture on this one's initiative.
The foreign students could so leave their application form for
residence permit directly in this new service.
I was sought to develop this project where everything was to
be built. I had, in a very short lapse of time, to get a good
knowledge of the rights of foreigners and create a data bank
to start this service in good conditions. I remember that at
the time only three universities of the Paris region were developing
the same type of service.
To help me in the good functioning of the service, the prefecture
of Police in 1993-1994 sent me " flying squads ", that is young
people who came three or four half-days a week. Afterwards,
in agreement with the university, I preferred to take persons
who had no link with the prefecture. I had noticed indeed that
the foreign students felt more in confidence to expose their
problems and better listen our advice when there was nobody
from the Prefecture. At the same time, I wanted my service integrated
to a more global structure inside the university, a structure
with the capacity to supply the foreign students with information
and general documentation, that is the CAIO (the Service of
information for foreign students). Beyond the problem of the
obtaining a residence permit, the foreign students are confronted
with a whole series of problems to be settled (housing, grants,
studies, subjects…) and I wanted the service capable of giving
them answers. This led me to draft a Notebook for foreign students
whose objective was to clarify and to give a maximum of information
and tracks so that the students could get better integrated
not only in the university but also outside.
What makes your service different from the other information
services for foreign students ?
The main characteristic of my service is to be integrated
into a cell of information opened to all the students of the
campus and at the same time, to remain very autonomous. As years
went by, I constituted my own documentation and a whole network
of relations with all the services susceptible to improve the
services to the foreign students : those that exist in Paris
VI but also outside the campus. In other words the students
who come to carry out the formalities to get a residence permit,
discover, when entering my service, another space giving them
access to information about the student life as a whole (studies,
housing, food, health, jobs etc). Actually, I am anxious that
their procedure to obtain a residence permit be linked to a
deeper request of more global information.
Why did you decide to extend the filed of your action ?
I became aware that the specific steps to obtain a residence
permit had to be taken in few months, from September to January.
And the rest of the year, my work consisted in answering requests
that had nothing to do with residence permits. I really had
to take account of those other requests. Hence the Notebook
for foreign students. A few years later, I opened my Internet
site to extend the information service to the foreign students.
Today, I am happy to know that a student can, even before his/her
arrival in France, get answers to some questions he asks himself
to prepare and better organize his stay in France.
What are the main advice you could give to a foreign student
?
First, to come to France with a long stay visa with the "
Student " mention. Too many come with a tourist visa which doesn't
give them the possibility to obtain a residence permit. Without
the visa, their situation is totally blocked. It is very hard,
and often impossible, to change a tourist visa into a long stay
visa.
Then I think it would be good for them to procure a Notebook
for foreign students, either where they are or on the Net, so
as to anticipate all the steps to prepare their application
for a residence permit
What have you learnt from those ten years with foreign students
?
From a political point of view, when it comes to the situation
of foreign students in France I really think that all the French
universities should set up information schemes for foreign students.
The French education establishments are to few to have done
it. I have proposed a single service for the universities of
Paris VI and Paris VII be set up. Unfortunately, my request
has not been accorded enough attention, although both universities
have the same campus at Jussieu. Maybe we should make our experience
more visible so that it could serve as an example to other universities
".
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Various bodies are specialized in the information and the orientation
of the students. You can obtain useful information with the following
bodies :
EduFrance, the agency in charge of information for the foreign students
in France. 75 EduFrance spots in 31 countries - Details available
on the site
The cultural service of the French Embassy in your country. You
can consult there in particular a booklet published by the Cnous
(Students' welfare office at the national level), entitled Je vais
en France (Going to France). Internet :
The Department for foreign students' careers and integration : apply
to this office to know the list of the publications of the Direction
des enseignements supérieurs The Higher Education Service
(DES). The DES publishes documents and booklets on the general organization
of French Higher Education and the specific subjects. Please note
a brochure on the application procedure for foreign students and
a publication dealing with the recognition of foreign diplomas in
France.
Contact : ministère de
l'Education nationale, 61/65, rue Dutot, 75732 Paris cedex 15. Tel.
: 01 40 65 65 40. Internet :
Onisep (French Office of Information on Jobs and Careers) publishes
more than 80 documents on subjects and jobs and a guide called Après
le bac, réussir ses études (Succeeding after baccalauréat),
which is a clear presentation of the various subjects in higher
education and provides all the addresses of schools and universities
by type of establishment (University, Grande Ecole, Polytechnic
etc.).
You can obtain the list of publications for free by telephone or
by mail at :
Onisep, Vente par correspondance, BP 86 Lognes, 77423 Marne-la-Vallée
cedex 2. Tel. : 01 64 80 35 00. You will find enclosed a voucher
to order the different publications.
For further information
: Onisep bookshop in Paris, 168,
boulevard Montparnasse, 75014 Paris. Tel. : 01 43 35 15 98. Internet
:
Careers Advisory Center (CIO) " Enseignement supérieur
(Higher Education) " : Galerie Claude Bernard, La Sorbonne,
1, rue Victor Cousin, 75005 Paris. Tel. : 01 40 46 23 24.
The common information services in the ministries supervising certain
specialized courses (see : Addresses).
University Services of Information and Career Advising (SCUIO),
one in each university (see : Addresses). Each university publishes
a guide introducing its own organization and its own courses. More
and more universities among them publish a specific guide for foreign
students.
Papers specializing in students (in particular the magazine Jeunes
à Paris) and the educational papers (especially Le Monde
de l'Education) with topical articles, surveys…
The books in the collection Métiers from Jeunes Editions/Studyrama.
Tel. : 01 41 06 59 00. Fax : 01 41 06 59 09. Internet :
Edufrance, an agency for foreign students
Set up by the Education Ministry and the Foreign
Affairs Ministry, it aims at :
promoting worldwide the French educational potential and scientific
expertise ;
providing foreign students with a whole range of services when
they come and stay in France ;
co-ordinating the supply of educational engineering in France.
The training
Thanks to a network made up of more than 170 establishments
of public and private higher education - universities, engineering
schools, management schools, EduFrance proposes a range of
diversified subjects, according to their themes, the number
of school years, the types of student and their objects. You
will find academic training leading to ordinary and post-graduate
degrees by subject, bi-national academic training, thematic
training, courses of French language for foreign students
and summer schools. But EduFrance also permits you to take
part in training courses in research laboratories or firms
as well as in in-house training programs and correspondence
courses.
The services
EduFrance accompanies the students in their studies projects
in France and :
helps them chose appropriate courses fixed before their departure
;
stimulates the success of their paths ;
ensures the quality of their stay in France ;
favors the success of their integration.
A whole set of tailor-made
services
The studies
Analyze of the studies project and proposition of the application
forms to the different targeted universities and schools ;
assistance for orientation and subject choice ;
registration in a higher education establishment ;
advanced courses of French language.
Daily life in
France
Reception at the airport and transfer to the city of studies.
Assistance in administrative procedures (residence permit,
welfare centers, banks…) and educational procedures.
Housing available on the first day, following the criteria
specified by the student : residence hall or private room,
in a family, a room or an apartment…
Food, transport, insurance.
The EduFrance Pass gives the students the possibility to benefit
from various national and international advantages such as
transports, telephone, tourism, leisure…
For further information : for further information
on French higher education and EduFrance services, see the
site : www.edufrance.fr
besides, advisors from EduFrance answer your questions. You
can get in touch with them :
By e-mail : .
You will get a personal answer. The advisors speak French,
English and Spanish.
In the various exhibitions EduFrance take part in, the students
can directly speak with the advisors in their own languages.
Around the world, about 70 EduFrance spots are here to help
the students. For more details :
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