法国研究生留学: 国际学生指南

　　Consistently among the most popular international study destinations, France has been grabbing additional study-abroad headlines over the past few years due to its capital’s run at the top of the QS Best Student Cities index – a listing of the world’s top 50 cities for students. While few would disputeParis’ position among the world’s most iconic, cultured and generally delightful urban centers, the inaugural results of the Best Student Cities project in 2012 nonetheless caused something of a stir. After all, there’s plenty of stiff competition out there for the title of “Best Student City” – not least from Paris’ cross-channel rival, London, which currently comes third in the list.

　　A closer look at the results reveals that Paris has an impressively large selection of universities ranked at international level, combined with a high quality of life, large and international student population, solid reputation among employers, and – crucially – a much stronger score for “affordability” than most comparable student hubs. This last is due not so much to the local cost of living – in fact Paris is notoriously expensive – but to the fact that tuition fees at universities in France are relatively low, for both local and international students.

　　This point applies of course not only to those studying in Paris, but anywhere in France. And while the capital undoubtedly claims a lion’s share of the nation’s top-ranked universities, there are strong options across the country. Indeed, much like neighbor Germany, France’s presence in the international rankings tables is impressive not so much for its forerunners, but for the consistency in quality demonstrated by a large swathe of its higher education institutions.

　　Universities in France

　　In the QS World University Rankings® 2014/15, two French universities are ranked among the world’s top 50: École Normale Supérieure, Paris (ENS Paris) in 24th place, and École Polytechnique ParisTech in 35th. A further 11 French universities appear in the top 300, and a total of 22 in the top 500. About half of these are members of the prestigious academic community of the capital, but the rest are spread much more broadly around the country. Lyon, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse and Lille all claim at least one university in the global top 500.

　　France’s relatively low tuition fees certainly don’t mean students can expect any less for their money. Indeed, French universities are often known for providing small class tuition, particularly among the selective grandes écoles, for which admission is more competitive and overall student numbers fairly small. This is reflected in some of the world’s strongest scores for faculty/student ratio (number of full-time academic staff relative to student enrolments), one of the indicators assessed in the QS World University Rankings. The École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, for example, is ranked just outside the global top 10 on this indicator, and is joined by École Polytechnique ParisTech and École des Ponts ParisTech in the top 50.

　　Why choose graduate study in France?

　　In a 2013 survey conducted by Campus France, the national agency which promotes French higher education overseas, teaching quality was among the most-cited reasons for choosing to study in France, along with opportunities to improve French language proficiency and interest in French culture. The same survey reflected the increasing competitiveness of the international student market – 45% of respondents said they had hesitated between France and another country – but found that nine out of ten who did choose to study in France would recommend it.

　　Feedback from a group of international postgraduate students at ESSEC (École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales), a well-known business school based just outside of Paris, largely reflects the Campus France findings.

　　Mowei Li, from China, was initially attracted by the prospect of immersion in the French language and culture, as well as by the strong reputation of the grande école system. Dhruv Kumar, from India, says the country’s reputation specifically in the field of Masters in Management (MiM) programs attracted his attention, followed by a word-of-mouth recommendation from a friend who was already enrolled at a grande école. And for Marcel-Patrique Taube, who’d already spent time studying in both Germany and China, France represented an opportunity for a “truly international” postgraduate experience.

　　In addition to the strong reputation of French business schools, the country itself is one of the world’s major business hubs – adding to its appeal for students with an interest in the “FAME” (finance, accounting, management and economics) group of subjects. The world’s fifth largest economy, France is the headquarters for global leaders in sectors including cosmetics, electronics, automotive and aerospace. The “La Défense” area of Paris remains Europe’s largest purpose-built business district, and as of 2013 France had more Global 500 company headquarters than any other country in Europe (fourth in the world, behind the US, China and Japan).

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