France Alumni Vietnam makes debut

A website for former Vietnamese students in France at www.vietnam.francealumni.fr was launched at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 9.

French ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noel Poirier (fourth right) speaks at the launching.

The ceremony saw the presence of Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, French ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noel Poirier as well as hundreds of former Vietnamese students in France and students studying French language and French-style curriculums in Vietnam.

Speaking at the gathering, Poirier stressed that France wishes to keep in contact with former Vietnamese students in France and Vietnamese studying French language and curriculums in Vietnam.

The France Alumni Vietnam is a part of a global network initiated by Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France in November 2014 to connect all former foreign students in France, help them keep in contact with each other and provide them with numerous services.

Over 10,000 former foreign students in France around the world have joined the network, which is based and managed in Paris. The network’s branches in different countries are being developed by French embassies.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau is the honourary representative for the France Alumni Vietnam, which is among the first ten national branches of the global alumni network.

The website will help the former students to communicate with peers and share their experiences, particularly through the discussion of topics, while helping students in France improve their studies and connect easily with business partners to learn of their operations. The students and former students will also keep contact with France through entertaining, cultural or economic events.

According to Jean Michel Caldagues, a representative in Vietnam of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company – the mother company of Airbus, students studying in France and former students in France are bridges for promoting bilateral ties between Vietnam and the European country.

The launching ceremony was followed by art performances by pianist To Nhu and artist Pham Dieu Huong, as well as a fashion show exhibiting the latest collection by young designers An Huong and Le Minh, founders of the fashion brand Rue Des Chats.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn