The Embassy of France to the Philippines renews its strong commitment to French-Philippine relations by announcing this year’s academic scholarship program for Filipinos.
Two separate calls for applications to full scholarships have been opened for students wishing to come to France either as part of an exchange or a degree-awarding program in all fields and levels of study.
The Embassy’s scholarships are available for Filipino graduates or students who can demonstrate academic, leadership and personal excellence through their transcripts and a 500-word essay. The scholarship packages will cover the awardees’ tuition and living fees, air travel and health insurance for the expected length of their academic programs.
Scholarship applications must be submitted to the French Embassy by April 15, 2016.
Why study in France?
There are several key advantages to studying in France, such as the high quality and low cost of its higher education system that consistently places among the top in international rankings, the increasing number of English-speaking programs offered by French institutions, the country’s celebrated culture and way of life, and its localization in the heart of Europe, offering students many possibilities for affordable travel.
France is a country that welcomes students from around the world. Each year, around 300,000 international students choose to study in France, making it the third most attractive country and the leading non-English speaking destination for student mobility, according to UNESCO.
In order to accommodate these students, French schools and universities are opening each year more academic programs in all fields and levels taught entirely in English, with the option to learn French as part of the course. As of January 2016, around 1,000 programs in English are being offered by French institutions.
Furthermore, and as a result of France’s commitment to host even more foreign students, education in its public universities is almost entirely subsidized for international and domestic students alike, leaving a nominal cost at €300 to €400 (P15,000 to P20,000) per student, health care included. At the same time, France is home to many world-class institutions in their respective fields, such as Sciences Po for social sciences, HEC Paris for business, the Sorbonne for arts and humanities, and Pierre and Marie Curie University for sciences.
Recognizing the intellectual, cultural, and economic contributions of international students to France, the French state is working to simplify administrative procedures and to improve efforts to allow international students to feel more at home in their adoptive country.
Community of French-educated Filipinos continues to grow
It is estimated that 350 Filipino students currently reside in France, with many of them pursuing degrees in world-renowned institutions of higher learning such as Sciences Po or HEC. Most Filipinos studying in France are part of undergraduate academic exchange programs or pursue Master’s degrees in the fields of business, social sciences and humanities.
Over 60 academic partnership agreements have been concluded between French and Filipino universities, allowing more and more Filipinos to be part of exchange programs in France and vice versa.
Campus France Philippines promotes French higher education in the Philippines and assists students at every step of their plans to study in France. For more information, visit www.philippines.campusfrance.org or contact manille@campusfrance.org.
For more details on the scholarships offered by the French Embassy, visit http://www.ambafrance-ph.org/-Financial-Assistance-.
– from GMA News
