The French Grandes Ecoles are like our IITs and IIMs, says Patrick Beck, Attaché de coopération linguistique et educative, French Embassy.
Is the French education system - the study options, quality of teaching, etc - varied or uniform? Does any government board monitor, institutes of higher education in France?
France probably offers the most diverse system in Europe vertically - there is a diplôme to be done at any step - as well as horizontally - from applied sciences to profession oriented Humanities, there are all sorts of highly specialised tracks.
The monitoring system is rigorous, efficient and flexible. It covers three networks. The first includes the Grandes Ecoles - universities which conduct tough entry exams, and charge affordable tuition fees, like the IITs or IIMs in India. The second is the mainstream university system, which is open to foreign students with no discrimination measures in fees, allowances, access to services, etc as for French nationals. Lastly, there are the private institutions, which depend on government accreditation and subsidies.
Can you tell us about the Grandes Ecoles and popular courses like the Essec Imhi hotel management programme?
Every intellectually assertive Indian student should know about the French Grandes Ecoles. Each of the 30 Grandes Ecoles has a plus point. They run programmes in all fields including engineering, commerce and applied domains like telecommunication, hotel management and aeronautics. The courses are highly diversified and anchored in industry.
Essec Imhi, one of the Grandes Ecoles, has developed a world-class (Master's level) hotel management programme. All the courses are available in English.
How does the French education system compare with that of Germany? If a student has to choose between France and Germany - keeping in view the language issue -- which one should he go for?
Both systems have intense interaction. France and Germany have a whole set of global companies which can absorb international students. Both education systems are equally good and maintain demanding educational standards.
We have more people in MBA. Their (the German) forte is in industry - production, engineering, etc. (Yet, above all) we complement each other, rather than compete with each other.
Visit: www.france-in-india.org