French office, Taiwan university sign MOU on scholarship program

Kaohsiung, Oct. 21 (CNA) The French Office in Taipei and Kaohsiung-based National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday on setting up a scholarship program for students from the university to pursue short-term exchanges or dual degree programs in France.

The MOU was signed by French Office in Taipei Director Jean-Francois Casabonne-Masonnave and NSYSU President Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) during the French representative's visit to the Kaohsiung university.

Under the MOU terms, NSYSU will provide up to NT$90,000 per semester per year, while the French office will offer a round-trip air ticket per student to study in France. The scholarships will be awarded to up to 10 NSYSU students every year.

The French government awards many different scholarships to foreign students to study in France, including one for several students each year that supports tuition fees and accommodation expenses based on social criteria, according to NSYSU.

NSYSU currently has 26 sister schools in France and has established student exchange programs with them. It has also established dual degree programs with four of these sister schools.

During his visit, Casabonne-Masonnave also delivered a speech introducing France through the perspective of French people to students at the school.

He said that France is known for not only its fashion and gourmet food items but is also a scientifically advanced country and a member of the European Union.

France is one of a handful of EU members with overseas dependent territories, Casabonne-Masonnave said, adding that there are approximately 300 million people worldwide who speak French.

He also paid a visit to the Kaohsiung Film Archive, according to the French Office in Taipei, which said that the office has forged close cooperation ties with the organizers of the Kaohsiung Film Festival since 10 years ago.

In 2018, it collaborated with Kaohsiung to develop a virtual reality film section as part of the Kaohsiung Film Festival.

In that same year, the French office signed a trilateral agreement with the organizers of the Kaohsiung Film Festival and the NewImages Festival to provide subsidies to facilitate exchanges between experts in the VR area and help foreign VR content producers residing in Kaohsiung to create works, according to the office.