French Ambassador to Malta Michel Vandepoorter and University rector Juanito Camilleri recently highlighted the wide range of opportunities available to University staff and students in French universities and centres of research.

They were speaking during the ambassador’s visit to the University to sign a renewed agreement with the rector governing the setting up and running of Le Petite Auberge de France at the University.

They stressed the importance of this collaboration to promote the French language and scientific research and noted that in 2011 an agreement had been signed between the University and the French National Scientific Research Centre to reinforce this collaboration and set up the centre’s Office for the Mediterranean at the University.

A number of French students follow full-time courses at Bachelor and Masters level in Creativity and Innovation, Laws, Communications, Criminology and Diplomatic Studies at the University. In the past academic year, close to 50 French students spent a semester or an academic year at the University through the Erasmus programme.

To mark the occasion, Mr Vandepoorter presented the Petite Auberge with a set of new books to add to its library, which is available on a daily basis to students and staff.