Cooperation between PetrSU and the University of La Rochelle (France)
A memorandum and an agreement on cooperation between Petrozavodsk State University and the University of La Rochelle were signed.
For the first time, the procedure for signing agreements took place in an online format.
PetrSU was represented at the meeting by the rector of PetrSU A.V. Voronin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs M.S. Gvozdeva, teacher of French at the Department of German and French at the Institute of Foreign Languages of PetrSU, Chairperson of the Friends of France Society NS Barymova and others.
From the French side, the meeting was attended by the President of the University of La Rochelle Jean-Marc Ogier; Vice President for International Relations Eric Montero; Patrick Ansel, Advisor to the President of the University for Project Activities and Cooperation with Secondary Education Institutions; Zhoslin Kompanion, chairman of the Friendship Society.
During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between PetrSU and the University of La Rochelle. The common goals of the two universities are to establish and develop academic cooperation based on the principle of reciprocity and mutual interest. The Memorandum of Understanding is aimed at establishing scientific, teaching and research contacts between the University of La Rochelle and PetrSU.
Taking into account the signed Memorandum of Understanding, PetrSU and the University of La Rochelle signed an agreement on the exchange of students. The agreement sets out all the conditions and steps governing student exchange programs between the two universities.
PetrSU Rector Anatoly Voronin noted:
More than 45 years of cooperation have linked Petrozavodsk and La Rochelle. The longest-standing project of sister-city relations is the collaboration of the Lyceum of Jean Daute (La Rochelle) and the Institute of Foreign Languages of PetrSU, within the framework of which every two years students spend two weeks in the country of the target language, living with students’ families.
PetrSU is grateful to colleagues from France for the cooperation that has been going on for many decades. More than 100 students of Petrozavodsk State University are studying French today. We are very pleased that cooperation with the University of La Rochelle is starting. Now we are finalizing the development of a new program for the strategic development of the university and cooperation with foreign universities, and, in particular, the University of La Rochelle, for us this is a very important development factor.
President of the University of La Rochelle Jean-Marc Ogier said:
We are very pleased to take part in this ceremony. The signing of the agreement was preceded by 18 months of bilateral preparatory work. Petrozavodsk and La Rochelle have been uniting sister cities for over 45 years. For me personally, it is a great success to transfer sister-city relations to the university level as well. We are moving to a new level of relationship: we are opening new areas of mutual cooperation in the field of knowledge of the two education systems.
During the meeting, the rector of PetrSU congratulated Patrick Ansel on being awarded the title of “Honorary Doctor of PetrSU”. This is already the second representative of France. The first honorary doctor was Jocelyn Kompanion, the founder of the program of the International Camp of Language and Culture between students of PetrSU and students of the Jean Daute Lyceum.
Patrick Ansel, after finishing his career as a pharmacist (head) of the Jean Daute Lyceum and becoming an advisor to the President of the University of La Rochelle, has made a lot of efforts to bring the two universities closer together and their active cooperation in research and student exchange. Already in September 2020, three students of the Institute of Foreign Languages were supposed to study at the University of La Rochelle in the direction of “French as a foreign language”, but due to the pandemic, this trip was postponed.
Thank you for the contribution that you have made to the development of higher education in Karelia, you are an excellent specialist and a wonderful person. It is a great honor for our university that you have done so much for our cooperation,
– Anatoly Voronin congratulated Patrick Ansel on the award of the honorary title.
I was moved to the depths of my soul: PetrSU did me a great honor by conferring the honorary title of Doctor of PetrSU. Education has no boundaries. This is, first of all, the history of mankind, which also has no boundaries. I am very enthusiastic about our future collaboration in terms of both research and development and student exchange. I am sure we will be able to fruitfully cooperate in various fields,Patrick Ansel shared his impressions.