French ambassador says partnership with NUML to continue
ISLAMABAD
Ambassador of France Nicolas Galey on Tuesday termed partnership between the National University of Modern Languages’ (NUML) Department of French Language and Alliance Francaise (AF) Islamabad quite valuable in the field of academic cooperation and assured the Embassy of France would do whatever it could to enhance this cooperation.
He was addressing a ceremony held to celebrate the 2020 academic cooperation agreement signed between the AF Islamabad and the NUML.
Director AF, Gaelle le Breton, Director AF Islamabad, Ali Bhatti, Pro-Rector NUML, Prof Dr Zubair Iqbal, Dean of Languages Prof Dr Jamil Ashgar Jami, French Education Officer, Hannah Bieber, Head of the Department of French Languages, NUML Prof Dr Zille Zehra, members of faculty, students of the French and other departments of the university attended the ceremony in large number.
Ambassador Nicolas expressed his pleasure that NUML’s Depart of French had trained many excellent French speakers for the promotion of the French language in Pakistan. “The French language students at NUML are working hard to develop their proficiency and what better way to get this hard work recognized than with the DELF diploma” he noted.
While referring to the academic cooperation agreement, the ambassador said it was in August 2020, that the NUML signed an MoU with AF Islamabad which allowed the Department of French to become the examination centre for the students of the NUML. Then in 2023, this MoU was revised with a complementary clause by which students can now benefit from partial or full scholarships to enroll in the DELF examination.
In 2020 the MoU was virtually signed by my predecessor Dr Marc Barety due to COVID-19, he said, adding, last February, the complementary clause was put into practice which allowed two outstanding students to appear for the exam while being exempted from the registration fees.” Needless to say that they passed the exam with flying colours,” he said.
The embassy of France is also proud to have supported this project by funding these scholarships and during 2020 two French teachers from the French Department of NUML received a scholarship to follow a four week training in France. “This year, too Ms Kaynat Rashis who is not only a teacher but also the coordinator of the French Department, has been selected for a one-month training grant,” he announced. Furthermore since September 2022, in partnership with the Defence Mission of the embassy, NUML has received a French lecturer Hugo Mare-Dalibot at its French Language Department and he is doing great and his contributions have proved quite valuable,” the ambassador noted.
Besides partnership in French language, the French prestigious institute, Institute National des Langues et Civilisation Orientales (INALCO) and NUML have resumed partnership and Prof Humaira Sadaf will be welcomed there as an Urdu lecturer at INALCO from September 2023 to September 2024.
The students of the French Department on the occasion presented lively and colourful performances and displayed proficiency in French signing, speaking and other skills. Ambassador lauded their performance, particularly a song by Almitra Shaam and Yousaf Wang and a performance by Syed Qasim Shah.
Dr Aamir Zaheer of the French Department gave a presentation to brief the ambassador about the NUML’s history and its ongoing projects. Pro-Rector Prof Dr Zubair in his vote of thanks expressed the desire that cooperation with the French embassy, AF would continue. I hope Mr Ambassador your maiden visit to NUML will not be the last and we look forward to receiving you and your team in the coming days, he said.
