ENCayetano Heredia and the French Embassy strengthen their alliance to promote international academic cooperation
Dr Enrique Castañeda, Rector of our university, welcomed Her Excellency Ms Nathalie Kennedy, Ambassador of France in Peru, in an institutional meeting that reaffirmed the mutual commitment to continue strengthening academic, scientific, and cultural cooperation between both institutions. This meeting reflects the strength of a relationship built over the years and a shared will to create new opportunities for students, faculty members, and researchers.
During the meeting, both parties agreed to develop a roadmap to further enhance cooperation. Key initiatives were discussed, including strengthening the Health MBA programme through internships in Paris’ metropolitan hospital network; promoting French language teaching under the agreement with the Alliance Française; enhancing international exchange programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate students; and developing double degree options.
Further cooperation is also foreseen in programme and institutional accreditation through the French High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES, by its French acronym). There was also shared interest in the creation of a Franco-Peruvian Chair in collaboration with the Consortium of Universities. On the cultural front, cooperation will be carried out through film forums. These proposals add to ongoing initiatives, such as the Franco-Peruvian Doctoral School in Life Sciences (with 23 scholarship holders) and the continuous academic and scientific exchange between our university and top-level French institutions, such as the Research Institute for Development (IRD).
It is worth highlighting that Cayetano Heredia University currently holds a dozen active agreements with French institutions and 20 collaborative research projects with France, registered on the Peru–France cooperation platform (https://acuerdosuniversitariosconfrancia.pe). Moreover, over 30 researchers from Cayetano Heredia have active links with France.
Also participating in the meeting on behalf of Cayetano were Dr Fabiola León Velarde, Director of the Graduate School. Representing the French Embassy were Mr Hughes de Chavagnac, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action, and Mr Vincent Lepage, Attaché for University and Scientific Cooperation.This closer partnership further reinforces our university’s international outlook within the framework of the Cayetano 2050 Plan and its mission to train leaders committed to research, health, and global development.
