Urgence Ukraine emergency programme: 347 students benefit from classes of French as Foreign Language

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As part of the Urgence Ukraine emergency programme, an intense programme of classes of French as Foreign Language (FLE in French), allows 347 new Ukrainian students since January 2023 benefit from language training before resuming their studies in France. In total, 2,000 students displaced from Ukraine were welcomed in the French higher education system.

Using funding from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Campus France has implemented a learning programme of French as Foreign Language for Ukrainian students who want to resume their higher education studies in France for the year 2023-2024. This scheme is part of the Urgence Ukraine emergency programme deployed by Campus France since the start of the war to welcome displaced students.

347 laureate Ukrainian students

After the call for applications organised in Autumn 2022, Campus France has identified 347 Ukrainian students included since the start of January 2023 in a language training course to continue their studies in France. The call for applications was open to students of Ukrainian nationality living in France who want to register to a French higher education institution at the start of the academic year 2023. The Île-de-France region will welcome 38% of them, i.e. 133 individuals. The programme completes the action of French higher education institutions which could welcome 1,280 Ukrainian students in FLE training courses.

Tailor-made programme to ensure the success of students

The programme was funded up to 2 million euros by the French ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and covered training costs for an intense learning cycle of 8 months in FLE, and support to take a DELF exam - Studies in French Language Degree. The programme includes a level exam on the first day of the academic year, 18 hours per week of class (in person), 5 hours per week in tutorship, cultural activities, and a frequent pedagogical follow-up.

The programme will facilitate the integration and success of the study course of recipients in France, in an academic course matching their latest degree passed. Degrees passed in France will contribute to their professional future, pillar of the reconstruction in Ukraine.

24 FLE centres chosen throughout France

A call for tender for applicant FLE centre opened in October 2022. After this call for tender, Campus France has selected 24 centres among 60 offers received.

To be eligible, centres had to prove they had a French as Foreign Language Quality Certification or be a member of the ADCUEFE (network of FLE university centres) and participate to a DU Passerelle.

2,000 Ukrainian students welcomed in French higher education

More generally, the programme is integrated to the Urgence Ukraine emergency programme implemented by Campus France on demand of the ministries of Europe and foreign affairs and higher education and research a month after the start of the war in Ukraine. Thanks to the platform that puts in contact students and institutions, Campus France could contribute to place 350 students displaced in Ukraine out of the 2,000 welcomed in the French higher education and research system.

Since 24 February 2022, start of the invasion in Ukraine by the Russian army, the United Nations registered more than 7.6 million Ukrainian refugees. 106,000 of them were welcomed in France.