Over the past two weeks at events around the world, international alumni of French higher education have come together to celebrate their study experiences as part of second iteration of France Alumni Day.
Organised by Campus France, the public agency attached to the French ministry of foreign affairs, events took place from May 11-26 with this year’s theme being French-speaking talents, global careers.
Through panels, roundtables and networking opportunities, the annual event shone a light on the benefits that intercultural skills and language learning, particularly French, can have on graduate employability.
Events took place in the UK, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, the US, Argentina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and many more countries across the globe.
The France Alumni Network was launched 10 years ago by the French ministry of foreign affairs and now boasts 380,000 members around the world who have studied in France, aiming to link alumni with local embassies, higher education institutions, businesses and other partners.
At one event held in the French residence in London, this year’s theme inspired conversations around the value of the French language, wider language learning, international mobility, cultural exchange and employability.
“Just by speaking French, we become part of this international community across the globe and that’s really exciting,” said Clare Siviter-Groschwald, doctor in French studies, senior lecturer at Bristol University and patron of France Alumni UK.
There are over 320 million French speakers around the world, attendees gathered at the embassy building heard. French is 5th global language after Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish and Arabic – and notably, French, alongside English, are the only languages spoken on all continents.
“It’s not just the languages… what matters is travelling. You need to travel. That’s really what makes, for me, augmented people. It augments you,” Emmanuelle Bury, UK country head at BNP Paribas Group, shared with the audience.
Bury was joined by other leaders in French and international businesses to speak about the links between French language, international mobility and employability.
“It’s much more than adaptability. You learn openness, there are moments when you feel alone, even if you speak the language of the country you are in,” she continued.
The routes might be harder and the costs might be more but the opportunities are still there
François Landers
The challenges an international experience brings, and the tactics that follow to navigate these – building relationships, bonding with diverse groups as examples – are what Bury believes make the most hireable graduates.
“It’s all those aspects that really make you a different person and an extremely valuable asset for international firms,” she said.
“Intercultural skills allow us to better understand the humans around us, the world around us and the role that we can play as individuals in the collective,” added Siviter-Groschwald.
Although routes to international study may be becoming more difficult, and costs increasing, “the opportunities are still there”, noted François Landers, managing director at the French Chamber of Great Britain.
For one University of Oxford student in attendance, France Alumni Day affirmed to her that “knowing a language is but the first step”.
“At the tail end of the year abroad part of my degree, I have found that this last year has not only improved my French, but maybe more importantly allowed me to have experiences outside of university life that I otherwise would not have had,” Jolina told The PIE.
“Of course, trying to assimilate into a culture and understanding the language is a big part of that but the experience of even being in a French university, even just in the French system, cannot be underestimated.”