The Lower Normandy Region, which already boasts an excellent partnership with the province of Fujian, intends to develop its Chinese relations even further. Since 2007, a “China-Normandy” club has also been bringing the nations’ respective knowledge and cultures closer together. Links have already been developed between higher education institutions and universities. But what do Chinese students and researchers have to offer Lower Normandy ? Synergia’s breakfast debate on the 11th of June aimed at offering a response to that very question.

An inescapable power and an economic giant, China indisputably leaves no-one indifferent. With over a billion inhabitants, it is indeed a striking nation. Over and above State to State relationships, French regions are also looking to forge links with Chinese provinces. Such has been the case, since 1990, between Lower Normandy and Fujian, “a province located on the Formosa straits in the South East of China, and home to some 35 million inhabitants” recalled the Regional Council’s Vice President, Corinne Féret, in her opening speech, taking the opportunity to add that, “the Regional Council is not only behind this impetus for international openness, but also acts as a key partner and ambassador for Lower Normandy players in the fields of economics, research, higher education…”

Among such players, the University of Caen Lower Normandy (UCBN) is in prime position, thanks not only to its many partnerships (over 200 international agreements including two active contracts with China and a number of projects), but also, henceforth, to the number of Chinese students it welcomes; over 300 last year. “There were only 6 Chinese students at the university in 1998,” recalls Patrick Dubois, director of the CEFE (French Teaching Centre for Foreign Students) and project manager at the UCBN’s SRI (International Relations Department). “On average, they stay two years and cover over 19 of the university’s units or departments,” adds Patrick Dubois. “Among our current ideas, we are looking to create a follow-up programme for our Chinese students”.

Concurrently, Marcel Toulemonde, delegate research director at ENSICAEN can also tell us of the engineering school’s many partnerships; however, he also admits a few associated difficulties, “The language barrier is an obvious and permanent hurdle but we’re getting there. Our aim is to develop research themes even further with our Chinese partners,” hence confirming the institution’s will to pursue its existing partnerships with China not only from a training point of view but also in the field of research ⁽¹⁾.

Lecturer in languages and civilisation and referent professor in Chinese at the Normandy Management School, Elen Rozay spent ten years in China. Throughout her account, she emphasised how important it is to “understand the Chinese students’ study path in order to offer them the best welcome to Lower Normandy”. After a short reminder of the Chinese university system’s particularities (”50 to 60% of students study within faculties they have not personally chosen”), she went on to decipher their behaviour and the difficulties they encounter when studying in France. “When they come here, they are looking for information and career advice. They are far less studious and disciplined than one would expect and far more creative and curious than one would believe. But we need to take heed to the fact that they face so many hurdles that they may well ask themselves, Why stay, or why even come in the first place?”

Finally, François Solignac-Lecomte, project manager for the Club Chine Normandie (with over 80 members) offered an introduction to the association’s activities: workshops, meetings, events. “We need to get to know each other better. The club’s aim is precisely to pull down the walls that are obscuring our mutual relations. So, welcome to the club!”

(1) Following 3 partnership agreements with the Universities of Nanchang, Shanghai and Tsinghua, ENSICAEN is soon to conclude a further partnership with the University of Xiamen. The engineering school has been welcoming Chinese students to its laboratories and courses for several years now and teaches Chinese as a second foreign language.

François Solignac-Lecomte
Tel: 02 31 50 02 13

Elen Rozay
Tel: 02 31 46 78 78

Patrick Dubois
Tel: 02 31 56 56 95

Marcel Toulemonde
Tel: 02 31 45 47 04

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