L’Institut Agro awarded the 'Bienvenue en France' label!

The label is awarded for a 4-year period to higher education institutions that meet the rigorous conditions for welcoming international students. A total of 102 institutions had been granted the label in November 2020.

Recognition of the internationalization and attractiveness of higher education in France

The Bienvenue en France label is geared towards attracting international students and France has set a dual objective to achieve this target: welcome half a million international students by 2027 (currently 358,000) while encouraging more students to study abroad via university exchanges or a mobility programme leading to a degree. The quality of the welcome extended to international students is a keystone to enhance the internationalization and attractiveness of higher education in France.

The label helps boost international students’ awareness on what the institution is doing to guarantee the quality of their welcome. It is awarded by Campus France on the grounds of a self-assessment, closely focused on the concerns of international students, and of an evidence package provided by the institution based on 6 criteria:

• Quality and accessibility of information
• Welcome facilities
• Courses offered
• Housing
• Campus life
• Quality of post-graduation follow-up

This label is an excellent promotion and outreach tool. Institutions awarded the label benefit from visibility on all Campus France websites, including its communication tools and media, and within the network of diplomatic agencies and Campus France local offices. Institutions can also use the label in their own communication campaigns.

L'Institut Agro Montpellier is highly committed to the development of activities targeting international students and is mobilizing its entire community to meet this major challenge of enhancing the institution’s attractiveness and outreach.
—Carole Sinfort, Director of L'Institut Agro Montpellier.

The quality of its welcome for international students – a major challenge for L'Institut Agro Montpellier

For the L'Institut Agro Montpellier internal school, many steps have already been taken to prepare, welcome and support international students (representing around 25% of the students on campus in 2019):

• International student welcome day (official welcome, presentation of student associations, participation of partners (Alumni, Campus France Montpellier, Erasmus Student Network, etc. )
• My guide, a must have : designed for and written by international students already on campus; it contains a wealth of information and advice (practical information, administrative formalities, campus life, everyday activities).
• Study and Student Life Office: support with pre-registration administrative formalities (contribution to student life and campus [CVEC], family allowance fund [CAF] application, social security affiliation, banking), residence formalities (French office for immigration and integration [OFII] stamp, residence permit, Hérault Prefecture portal).
• Online information sheets : visa, prearrival and arrival formalities, travel within France during the stay, etc.
• Facebook International L'Institut Agro Montpellier page
• Multicultural student evenings, mobility forum, etc.
• Language courses (French as a foreign language [FFL], summer courses) and certifications (FFL certificate, Test de Français International [TFI], Test of English for International Communication [TOEIC], Cambridge English Test, Diplomas de español como lengua extranjera [DELE]), etc.

After being granted the Qualité français langue étrangère (FLE) label for its entire French as a Foreign Language programme in 2017, L'Institut Agro Montpellier  is now proud to share with L'Institut Agro Rennes-Angers the Bienvenue en France  label awarded to L’Institut Agro. This certification is a testament to the quality of our schools, which are committed to welcoming and supporting international students throughout their studies.