The Passerelle programme for exiled students at Université Paris-Saclay gets ready for its second academic year
For the second consecutive year, Université Paris-Saclay will welcome approximately twenty exiled students as part of its Passerelle university diploma programme. The programme is aimed at non-French speaking exiled students (refugees, in subsidiary/temporary protection programmes or asylum seekers) with at least secondary-level qualifications, who would like to start or continue university studies within the French higher education system.
On Wednesday 27 September 2023, Université Paris-Saclay will welcome twenty-two students from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria and Russia for the start of term as part of the Passerelle programme. As exiled non-French speaking students (refugees, in subsidiary/temporary protection programmes or asylum seekers), they have all been forced to leave their homes due to conflict or persecution.
The Passerelle university diploma programme is predominantly focused on the intensive teaching of French as a Foreign Language (FLE) to help students obtain the level of French required to pursue higher education studies in France (B2 or C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFRL). The programme includes comprehension exercises and speaking and writing activities, with each new semester allowing students to acquire a new level of French. At the end of the year, students sit a language exam (TCF or DELF) to certify their official CEFRL level of French.
Alongside French languages classes, the programme offers students orientation, integration and socio-cultural workshops and activities, to help them with the preparation of their academic and professional projects: academic methodology classes, workshops in course guidance, CV and cover letter writing, preparing applications, and cultural and sporting activities.
Throughout the academic year, students are supported by a dedicated educational and administrative team from the university who offer them regular, one-to-one meetings to review their situation and projects.
The Passerelle programme for exiled students at Université Paris-Saclay is one of thirty-nine university diplomas organised by French universities (fifteen of which are located in the Paris Île-de-France region) and coordinated by the Migrants in Higher Education network (MEnS). The programme has received funding from the 2023 AIMES programme Call for Proposals (Hosting and Integration of Migrants in Higher Education), the Université Paris-Saclay Foundation and the French government Idex programme (Initiative of Excellence).
Université Paris-Saclay is strongly committed to defending equal opportunities, protecting solidarity, respecting the cultures and values of foreign people, and ensuring diversity and national representation.