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[Article partenaire] While we are spending the summer against the backdrop of a health crisis, the young expatriates who have planned to start a course in France in September do not know what to do with.
Is it still possible to consider a semester, a year, a bachelor, in France from September 2020?
We interviewed Cécile Maury, int development managerernational in North America and Maxime Gambini, Deputy Marketing and Sales Director of Excelia Group (formerly Sup de Co La Rochelle).
Already, why study in France when you are an expatriate in the United States?
“The advantages of the French education system are numerous, especially in contrast to the American system for example”Begins Cécile Maury. “Apart from these important advantages such as lower prices and housing assistance for students, it is above all a return to the source that young expatriates seek when they come to study in France.”
Immerse themselves again in the French language, rediscover a culture that some of them have little known: this is what pushes many young expatriates to come back to live in the Land of Lights for a few years.
Studying in France also means opening doors while allowing yourself the choice: some French schools have accreditations that make their diplomas recognized internationally. This is the case of La Rochelle Business School, the business school of Excelia Group, which has the triple accreditation of AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. “Only 1% of Business Schools in the world can take advantage of this ” triple crown »And we are part of it”Proudly adds Cécile Maury.
It is true that these accreditations, in addition to guaranteeing the quality of teaching, make the difference for students coming from abroad: they can, once the diploma in hand, choose to stay in France or to leave. in the United States for example.
How are things going at the start of the 2020 school year?
“At Excelia, we are ready to welcome students in the best conditions in September”, Continues Maxime Gambini.
Already at the height of the crisis, the school was at the forefront: rapid closure of the school with the dematerialization of teaching and the implementation of monitoring for all students.
“We are well versed in distance education”Explains Maxime Gambini. “We had experience with distance learning, which we already practice on part of our management courses. ”
When the campus closed, all the teachers mobilized to ensure a smooth transition of their courses to digital format. It was not just a matter of making the content that would have been discussed in class available online. The teachers kept in touch with their students, and provided them with follow-up and support, even outside the traditional framework of the lessons: a “covid cell” was thus quickly set up with a direct line that the students could call in case. of need or question.
“A few weeks ago, we carried out a survey among our students so that they could give their opinion on our management of the crisis, and we had an excellent satisfaction rate.. ” adds Maxime Gambini.
If the Excelia Group schools reacted so quickly, it is also because they were among the best placed to be informed: the school welcomes many students from abroad each year, and sends as many on internship. or exchange around the world. “We had students in China, so we followed the situation closely and all measures were taken to repatriate them as soon as possible and in safety conditions.. ”
As for the start of the 2020 school year, the organization of the courses has been adapted to preventive measures. Thus, 30% of the courses will take place remotely, 40% face-to-face, while the remaining 30% will be reinvented in the form of collaborative projects. From home, students will work as a team on concrete projects, while being coached by a teacher.
“One of the core values of the Excelia group is learning through experience”Continues Maxime Gambini. “If the students cannot be full time on campus for the moment, we want them to continue to have stimulating experiences and to create as a team.”.
On campus, in fact, safety instructions will be scrupulously respected, with classrooms fitted out to ensure respect for safety distances, a number of students on site rationalized and the provision of masks and hydroalcoholic gel.
Why choose the Excelia group for its studies in France?
“The first thing that comes to me is really the living environment which is exceptional in La Rochelle”Cécile Maury tells us. With its cobbled streets, its medieval fortress, but also its three beaches and its proximity to the Ile de Ré and the Ile d’Oléron, the 5th most visited town in France has something to dream about. But that’s not all, because as Cécile Maury reminds us, La Rochelle is also and above all a dynamic and university city, with a large number of students, especially international ones.
In addition to benefiting from an exceptional living environment, going to an Excelia group school also means having confidence in an institution with experience. First an Institute of French Studies created by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of La Rochelle in 1931 (now within the Excelia group, La Rochelle Academy), then birth of the Higher School of Commerce in 1988, formerly Sup de Co, more recently the school of tourism and the digital school, the Excelia group is strong of its history and its anchoring in the French and international educational landscape. “We are recognized by the networks of local and international companies who trust Excelia and welcome our students every year.”Continues Cécile Maury.
International experience is, according to the philosophy of the Excelia Group, an essential part of the education and personal development of young adults. It is also a real asset in the world of work: between 90 and 100% of students in the Excelia group are hired within 6 months. after the end of their program or even before the end of their studies.
The school is not resting on its laurels, however, and is still developing strong projects that anchor it even more in the “next world”. “We were already pioneers in teaching CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility, ndlr) and around sustainable development”Explains Maxime Gambini. “We will continue in this direction, by developing the digitization of our programs, the internationalization of our courses and educational innovation.. ”
A school in France, support in the United States
Excelia group schools are used to welcoming students from abroad and supporting them in their own country before their experience in France via the seven offices of the Excelia group spread over four continents. If you are based in the United States and want to join the Excelia group in 2020, you even have the right to a dedicated contact, our guest Cécile Maury. Based in the state of Louisiana, she will answer your questions and accompany you in all your procedures, before and after your admission: from the constitution of the application file, to the advice on the choice of the program and its language of instruction (French or English), via explanations on the curriculum, or help in choosing the right accommodation in La Rochelle.
Finally, always with a view to supporting students coming from abroad, the school will offer deferred entry options for the start of the 2020 school year. “The students will arrive when they can, we will welcome them as they go along, with the setting up of online courses in the meantime. Either they will prefer a staggered start to the school year in January 2021, or they will have the possibility of postponing their integration for a year. ” concludes Maxime Gambini.
Would you like to know more about the Excelia group?
Find online all the information on their various programs, including business, management, tourism, communication, digital, or web design programs.
You can also use this form to ask your questions and be contacted by Excelia Group.
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Note: “partner articles” are not French Morning editorial articles. They are provided by or written to order from an advertiser who determines their content.
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