AUF’s 60th anniversary and the first week of the scientific Francophonie

The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) brings together more than a thousand French-speaking universities, grandes écoles, university networks and scientific research centers in 119 countries. And it is 60 years old this year.

During the week of the festivities, there were of course debates on innovation, support for students in the development of research, digital culture and the employment of young professionals.

For the re-elected president of the AUF and Minister of Education of Romania, Sorin Cîmpeanu, the university student is one of the main contributors of the company: “Universities cultivate competence and we need competence now more than ever. We need education as a basis for everything, for economic development, for the environment and even for health security, as we can see. “

Based in Montreal, the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie has ten regional branches. The one in Bucharest, Romania, has existed since 1994.

This is where this 60th anniversary was organized with the first meeting of the scientific Francophonie and there was a price to be had. Jean Crespin Cupahiro, a student from Burundi, won it along with a check for 1,500 euros.

“The great novelty of our event today in Bucharest is the launch of a policy of French-speaking scientific diplomacy. This policy aims to involve the public authorities in the choice of the French-speaking space in education and university” explained Slim Khalbous, rector of AUF.

And AUF university rectors are always committed to creating a French-speaking ecosystem.

“We have projects to realize, for example, here in Bucharest a house of the Francophonie dedicated to the students and for the collaboration between the student, the university and the company, here together in the house of the Francophonie in Bucharest” said, by way of example, Mihnea Costoiu, rector of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.

In regions where French has no protected status, the challenge and the main mission of the AUF are to create or recreate French-speaking ecosystems conducive to the practice of the French language.

The second edition of the scientific Francophonie week will perhaps take place entirely face-to-face next year. For this premiere, it was a mix of face-to-face events and videoconferences.