The event, held from June 18 to 23, was also attended the French ambassador in Pakistan Marc Baréty and the minister advisor of the Embassy of Pakistan in France Amjad Qazi.

“This is an opportunity to reinforce the attractiveness of France”

Campus France also hosted a Pakistan Day on June 20, an event dedicated to showcasing bilateral cooperation plans and the French education offering. About 40 French institutions have participated, Campus France said in a statement.

Ambassador to Pakistan Marc Barety said that France wishes to develop its presence in Pakistan, especially in the education sector.

Mentioning the growth in university graduates in Pakistan, he said France “will be there to help Pakistan achieve even higher university education levels”.

He added that keeping with the French president’s focus on tackling climate change, the government will offer scholarships that will allow Pakistani students and researchers in the field to study and research in France.

This event builds on the success of two previous conferences, that have strengthened collaboration on higher education between the two countries.

Pakistan, the Campus France statement read, faces challenges in its education system and teacher training and has chosen France as a partner to contribute to the development of its higher education and research sector.

Over the past decade, more than 700 Pakistani PhD students have been trained in France thanks to grants from the Pakistani Higher Education Commission.

A total of 150 students from Pakistan are currently enrolled in French institutions, the statement added.

But a spokesperson of Campus France told The PIE News that the country is aiming to host more students.

“We do believe France can do better,” they said.

“Every time one student comes to France with a scholarship from HEC, he or she gets the same amount of scholarship from the French government. This day is an opportunity to reinforce the attractiveness of France and to develop bilateral cooperation.”

The event closed after two days in Paris, with meetings between the Pakistani delegation and some French higher education institutions in Lyon and Grenoble.