French universities deepen ties with Korea as student interest grows
Forty-four French institutions meet 36 Korean universities in Seoul, Nov. 2, as part of a two-day event to promote French higher education and research and to strengthen university cooperation. Korea Times Photo by Kim Bo-kyoung
44 institutions join Seoul fair, doubling in 2 years
French higher education institutions are increasingly turning their attention to Korea, with participation in a major education fair in Seoul more than doubling in just two years, driven by growing interest among French students in studying in Korea.
A total of 44 French institutions took part in this year's Study in France fair, organized by the French Embassy in Seoul and Campus France, up from just 20 at a similar event two years ago, according to Sébastien Codina, scientific and higher education cooperation attache at the embassy.
"You cannot imagine how much young French people really love Korea," Codina told The Korea Times, pointing to the growing popularity of Korean culture in France.
The expanding interest goes beyond K-pop, beauty and food, with French higher educational institutions increasingly seeking opportunities to send students to Korea and establish deeper academic partnerships.
Deepening academic partnerships
Among those expanding its network of Korean partners is Sciences Po, one of France's leading institutions in political science and international relations, ranking third worldwide following Harvard and Oxford.
Sciences Po already has five Korean partners in Seoul, including Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. It recently signed an agreement with Pusan National University, its first partner outside Seoul, with the first group of students expected to arrive in September 2027.
"Geopolitical uncertainty has made cooperation with countries sharing common values, including democracy and academic freedom, even more important," said Pauline Couteau, Sciences Po's international affairs manager, adding that exchanges help students move beyond stereotypes and idealized perceptions of other countries.
The institution is also looking to expand cooperation into academic research.
Sciences Po has applied for a Korea Foundation fellowship that, if approved, would allow a Korean researcher to spend an academic year teaching and conducting activities at the institution. The results are expected in December.
The growing cooperation is not limited to social sciences.
CentraleSupélec, one of France's leading engineering Grandes École, or a highly selective French higher-education institution, has signed an agreement with Korea University on Thursday, to launch a dual-degree bachelor's program in 2027, initially in mechanical engineering and materials science.
Under the proposed program, students would spend two years in France and two years in Korea, earning degrees from both institutions. The program is expected to initially enroll around 50 students. The new partnership builds on CentraleSupélec's existing cooperation with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which includes graduate student exchanges and an on-demand dual master's degree program in mechanical engineering.
"CentraleSupélec is always looking for excellent academic partners around the world, and Korea is a natural one. It is a leading member of the G20 and a key player in international trade and technology," said Yvon Choi, senior adviser of the CentraleSupélec.
International students walk on the campus of a university in Seoul, Sept. 10. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, 505,410 foreign nationals entered Korea for study or training purposes in 2025. Yonhap
Overcoming potential hurdles
However, differences in academic systems remain a challenge to expanding such partnerships.
In France, students traditionally complete two years of intensive preparatory classes before entering the highly selective Grandes Écoles, where they study for another three years to earn a master's degree. To better accommodate international partnerships, CentraleSupélec has introduced bachelor's programs alongside its traditional engineering program, collaborating with institutions such as McGill University, City University of Hong Kong and BITS Pilani.
"We are working together to align course content, academic expectations and assessment so that students can move smoothly between the two institutions and benefit from the strengths of both systems," Choi said.
Beyond academic coordination, Choi highlighted the challenges of helping young students adapt to unfamiliar cultures and academic environments, stressing the importance of coordinated student support. He also tapped on importance of securing industry participation.
"The new program with Korea University is expected to require a compulsory 22-week internship, making cooperation with French, Korean and European companies essential to providing practical training opportunities," he added.
Looking ahead in higher education partnership
Franco-Korean university cooperation already spans nearly 330 agreements and 34 double or joint degree programs, but both countries are now looking to deepen partnerships, particularly in science and technology.
"For now, it is mostly focused on undergraduate level," Codina said. "The next step for us is to build deeper and more structured partnerships with more masters programs, dual degrees, and doctoral mobility, joint Ph.D. supervision and research cooperation."
Both countries are well-positioned to expand cooperation in science and technology, Codina said, citing Korea's heavy investment in research and development and France's strong track record in scientific research, including its Nobel laureates and Fields Medal winners.
"When people think of France, they often think of luxury, just as they associate Korea with K-pop. I hope deeper academic partnerships could help people look beyond, recognize that there is much more to both countries than that," Codina said.