Orenburg state university

Cooperation with French Educational and Public Organizations

Embassy of France in Russia

On April 10, 2007 Orenburg State University and the French Embassy in the Russian Federation signed a collaborative agreement. The OSU International Office and the embassy’s Culture and Cooperation Department (SCAC) worked jointly on an agreement that automatically places OSU on the list of Russian universities that have a partnership with the Embassy of France.

According to the signed agreement the French Embassy supports and assists OSU in arranging study tours for French language teachers to universities and institutions in France (in 2007–2015 the Embassy sponsored 33 study tours). The embassy regularly informs the university about training courses in France for OSU post-graduates, students, and teachers of French. The embassy offers and controls projects of cooperation between OSU and French educational institutions. Moreover, university representatives are regularly invited to the annual meetings of Russian universities — the French Embassy in Russia Partners.

In 2008, the French Embassy authorized the foundation of a testing center for DELF/DALF examinations at OSU. Since then more than 182 high school and university students have passed the exam successfully and received international diplomas. Once in three years the center holds new courses for educators who administer these exams at OSU.

Intensive and beneficial cooperation between Orenburg State University and the French Embassy, led to extending the collaborative agreement in January 2010, February 2013, February 2015. Thanks to this new agreement the embassy granted OSU with more than 30 items of textbooks, manuals, CDs, etc. The embassy sponsored a training program for Lauriane Chesnel, an educator from France who stayed at OSU in 2010–2011. The university also participated in the events that the embassy had arranged to celebrate "The Year of France in Russia" and "The Year of Russia in France" (French film festivals, "French loanwords in Russian", etc.).

In April 2013 OSU hosted a seminar for French teachers under the auspices of the French Embassy in the Russian Fedration. More than 70 teachers from Russia participated in the seminar. French experts Patrick Deplanque, Attaché for Cooperation in Education of the French Embassy in the Russian Federation; Hélène Buisson, Attaché for Cooperation in French Language of the French Embassy in the Russian Federation; the Consulate General of France in Ekaterinburg; Anne-Claire Peno, teacher at the Institut de Touraine gave work-shops in teaching French.

In 2010–2014 the Embassy sponsored 4 teachers and 5 students who took training courses in France.

Cultural and Linguistic Organization "Alliance Française in Samara"

Collaborative work with the "Alliance Française in Samara" has created lots of activities and events, such as:

• Inviting French trainees and French language teachers from universities in France for short-term visits;
• Hosting a French lecturer for a school year;
• Participation in annual regional competitions for French language speaking high schools and university theater groups;
• Participation in an annual students’ competition singing the French song "Mademoiselle et Monsieur Alliance Française";
• Arranging seminars on French language teaching methodology for Orenburg French language teachers;
• Participation in film festivals and in "Printemps française";
• Inauguration of a testing center for DELF-DALF examinations;
• Supervision of the work of the university’s center which deals with international examinations on French.

In 2011 OSU and Alliance Française in Samara signed an official collaborative agreement specifying more intensive cooperation in various fields and areas.

French State Educational Agency CampusFrance in Samara

It is becoming a tradition that the French State Educational Agency "CampusFrance" (previously known as EduFrance) in Samara introduces OSU students, postgraduates, and faculty to the possibilities of getting a higher education in France. Moreover, all Orenburg high schools and university students interested are invited to the presentations.

Through 2012–2014 OSU hosted annual Day of Higher Education in France. The event is organized with the assistance of Natalya Kolosova, Director of Campus France in Samara.

Established in December 2007, Orenburg’s CampusFrance Information Center consults with candidates applying to training programs in France and helps them fill-out all necessary forms. Under the Center’s support more than 10 university and high school students entered universities and colleges in France.

Université du Maine (Le Mans, France)

www.univ-lemans.fr

In 2008 Université du Maine and Orenburg State University started to negotiate a double diploma distance learning program "Theory and methodology of foreign languages teaching". In 2010 the two schools signed an agreement that enabled 2 OSU students to enroll into this program. Besides, now every year OSU students receive an invitation to participate in the International Summer School in Université du Maine. 23 students have successfully studied at this School in 2010–2014.