On Wednesday 15 November, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France’s University of La Rochelle.

UPI Rector, Prof Dr Rd Asep Kadarohman, M Sc, hosted Prof Philippe Grange, Director – Asia Pacific Institute, and A/Prof Chandra, head of the Master of Foreign Languages program, at the University of La Rochelle for the MoU signing.

The agreement is expected to formalise and extend upon the existing relationship between the two universities.

UPI and La Rochelle have already undertaken collaborative research, having jointly published two articles in the field of language and linguistics.

The MoU focuses on student mobility between the two universities. Under the agreement, two UPI French language undergraduate students will study at La Rochelle for one semester this year, obtaining for credit their degree at UPI.

The agreement will also continue an existing annual summer program, whereby two UPI students travel to La Rochelle for a one-month intensive.

Two La Rochelle undergraduate students will study Indonesian, Sundanese and English languages at UPI for one semester in 2017. As a part of their study abroad semester, students will participate in Sundanese cultural programs and undertake a one-month internship at an organisation in Indonesia.

One French language tutor will also teach at UPI’s Department of French Language Education for one semester.

The Department of French Language Education at UPI currently around 300 students. Around 80 French students study Indonesian language at La Rochelle University.