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French honour for Delhi V-C

Staff Reporter

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

A proud moment: French Higher Education and Research Minister Velerie Pecresse conferring the Officier Des Palmes Academiques Award on Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental in Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Inviting Indian students to “discover” France and forge an exclusive bond of friendship between the two countries, the visiting French Minister for Higher Education and Research Valerie Pecresse on Friday urged them to share their skills and talents with the youth of her country to meet the challenges of the future and raise “the collective intelligence of mankind”.

She was speaking at a special ceremony held at Delhi University to confer the French honour “Officier des Palmes Academiques” on Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental in recognition of his services and contribution to the field of education.

Addressing a gathering comprising students and faculty members, the Minister said: “Our two countries are no strangers to each other, for in the course of our long history we were often induced to meet and exchange. France is ready to welcome you in the best possible conditions by radically simplifying the hosting procedure for foreign students from all over Asia, and particularly from India.”

“We proved this only a few months ago by organising with the help of ‘Campus France’ a week’s forum about French higher education in India, which saw more than 80 French seats of learning come together with Indian students. We proved it by establishing last year new rules, which allow us to cut down on the red tape which so often puts off foreign students, while giving them the opportunity to stay on and work in France after finishing their studies,” she added.

France has granted over 300 scholarships to Indian students interested in going to France during this year, she added.

Ms. Pecresse said she intended to facilitate the “discovery of India by French students”: “The aim is to lay down a solid foundation for relationships between our two countries, by helping to train young Indians familiar with France and young Frenchmen familiar with India.”

Later, interacting with the students, the Minister said her country wanted a strong partnership with India.

“In France, we have about 17,000 Chinese students and only 1,400 Indian students. This is not the right balance in terms of population and development of science and technology. The strategic partnership between India and France that came into existence in 1998 still needs to be strengthened. We need greater exchange of students. We see India in the forefront of science and technology in the next 10 years.”

Asked about the controversy in France relating to Sikhs who had been angered because of a move to ban turbans and other religious symbols in schools, the Minister said it was not aimed at hurting the minorities’ sentiments.“Secularism is at the heart of French democracy. At the school level, because the children are young we put religion and state apart as everyone is the same. But at the university level, since everyone is an adult they can show their religion,” she reasoned.

Ms. Pecresse also shared with the audience her experiences of being a woman politician in France, a subject close to her heart since she has also authored a book in French language on the same.

“It is difficult for French women to access positions of higher ranking. But things have begun changing. In the new government, half of the ministers are women. You have a woman president, which we have not had so far,” she added.

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