Knowledge Summit II

The second edition of the Indo-French Knowledge Summit dedicated to Higher Education, Research and Innovation will take place at the Université de Lyon in France. The Summit is being organised by the Embassy of France in India, in partnership with Université de Lyon, Campus France, and emlyon business school, on the French side, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on the Indian side. The event will be inaugurated by ministers from the governments of India and France.

The first Knowledge Summit was held during the 2018 State visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in India, Launched in the presence of H.E. Mrs Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of France, and Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development of India, it was a key moment for Indo-French cooperation as it drew up a road map for the following years, in partnership with the corporate sector.

H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, looking forward to the Summit, said: ‘After the success of the first edition in India, we are delighted to see the second edition of the Knowledge Summit take place in France. It is an essential step to develop and structure our collaborations in education and research, stimulate connections between research and industry, and encourage the mobility of students and scholars. These matters are a fundamental aspect of our partnership with India’.

“I am pleased that the Université de Lyon is hosting the second edition of the Knowledge Summit. This Indo-French gathering highlights the network of establishments that drive academic, scientific and innovative cooperation between our two countries. In the presence of prestigious guests, the two-day debates will focus on the larger challenges of tomorrow: renewable energy, smart cities, artificial intelligence and many more – all subjects for which international cooperation is indispensable today,” says Khaled Bouabdallah, President of the Université de Lyon.

Over 300 participants from the higher rungs of Indian and French academia, research organizations, corporate houses, competitive clusters and startups, as well as public authorities are expected at the second Knowledge Summit in Lyon. The two-day summit will involve a series of interactive sessions, allowing participants to deepen scientific and academic cooperation between the two countries and launch concrete initiatives in the following priority areas:

 Smart Cities: Electric Mobility
 Smart Cities: Urban Planning & Architecture
 Aerospace
 Agriculture and Food Processing
 Renewable Energy
 Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics
 Valorisation of Natural Resources from Plants
 Marine Sciences
 Enhancement of Employability and Entrepreneurship

Around 15 agreements will be inked between French and Indian participants during this summit It may be recalled that, during the March 2018 Knowledge Summit, a very significant MoU was signed between France and India: the mutual recognition of academic qualifications in non-professional degrees. Students graduating from Indian institutions are thus eligible for further education in France, and vice versa.

Ahead of the Summit, on 15 and 16 October, participants will also undertake thematic visits of different technological hubs of France.

The continued partnership efforts between India and France has resulted in a sharp increase in Indian students choosing France for higher studies over the past two years. In the process, the target of welcoming 10,000 Indian students to France by 2020 will already be attained this year, giving rise to a revised aim of doubling this figure by 2025.

The French Government currently invests 1 million euros (7 crores rupees) in over 500 scholarships for Indian students every year. To double this figure, the French Embassy created the Franco-Indian Education Trust in 2017, in partnership with the Krishnakriti Foundation. It has since offered scholarships and merit-based financial support to around 50 Indian students since its launch during Knowledge Summit I.

Business schools and engineering colleges from India and France have actively pursued cooperation. There are already more than 550 partnerships currently recognised by the Embassy of France in India, involving about 120 French and 150 Indian institutions. A dozen others already have permanent offices in India, such as Sciences Po and ESC Rennes.

For complete details on the Knowledge Summit, please visit: http://ifindia.in/knowledgesummit/

About IFI

The French Institute in India / IFI (Institut français India) is the Education, Science and Culture department of the Embassy of France in India. It facilitates academic and scientific exchange between higher institutes of learning and research, enables student mobility, promotes the French language and artistic and cultural partnerships. Cooperation between India and France takes place through a number of sectors: Arts & Culture, Books & Ideas, French Language & Education, the Study in France programme, Academic Partnerships, Science & Technology, as well as Innovation and Multimedia. To know more, visit www.ifindia.in

About The Université de Lyon

The Université de Lyon is a world-class academic site of excellence. Awarded the IDEX label in 2017, it is located at the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in Lyon and Saint-Étienne. Structured around 12 member institutions and several associated institutions, the Université de Lyon has three main objectives: to be a major, attractive and responsible university, with a reputation for excellence and innovation, and one which is enriched by strong international outreach; to provide outstanding training and research opportunities, in line with current social expectations and changes; to develop and promote the dynamics of the Lyon Saint-Étienne site, in conjunction with all regional stakeholders: citizens, organizations, companies and local authorities.

About emlyon

emlyon business school was founded in 1872 by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon. It is a private state-approved institution of higher education and one of Europe’s oldest business schools. Only 1% of business schools have achieved the Triple Crown international accreditation by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA: emlyon business school is one of them. As such, emlyon ranks as a world-class business school.

emlyon business school’s intake this year is 7,260 students of 90 different nationalities, and 6,200 participants in continued education. The school now operates on six different campuses (Lyon, Shanghai, Saint-Etienne, Casablanca, Paris, Bhubaneswar). It draws on a network of 181 international academic partners and runs a community of 32,000 alumni spread out in 120 countries.

Focus on XEBS: The Xavier University of Bhubaneswar and emlyon business school unveiled their MoU at the first Knowledge Summit in Delhi, thereby founding the XAVIER-EMLYON Business School, the first Indo-French world-class business school, opening undergraduate and graduate global business education to Indian and Asian students. Acting as a mutual recognition of academic qualifications, the joint business school will enhance student mobility and help redefine tomorrow’s multilingual students. Inspired by emlyon’s salient missions – training early makers, prioritizing innovation, sustainable entrepreneurship, and employability – the XAVIER-EMLYON Business School aims at promoting early innovators in India, for India and beyond.