Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday held a bilateral meeting with France's Minister for Higher Education, Research, and Space, Philippe Baptiste, in New Delhi to discuss strengthening cooperation between India and France in education, research, innovation, academic mobility, and institutional partnerships.
The two sides discussed strengthening institutional linkages, promoting the mobility of students, faculty, and researchers, and expanding opportunities for collaborative academic programmes and exchanges. They also explored greater cooperation in life sciences, social sciences, and humanities, with a focus on joint academic activities and research.
Joshi highlighted the longstanding India-France partnership and said education was an important pillar of the bilateral relationship. He also noted that the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 provides an opportunity to further deepen collaboration in education, research and innovation.
The two ministers discussed ways to promote knowledge partnerships and build on existing institutional collaborations while creating new avenues for joint academic and research initiatives.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Joshi said the discussions covered expanding student and faculty mobility, strengthening institutional partnerships and joint research, and advancing the revised Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement. He also mentioned collaborations through SPARC, GIAN, and the Franco-Indian Campus in Life Sciences & Health, as well as the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Nice.
He added that the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 would provide a platform to deepen these partnerships, foster innovation and develop future-ready talent through closer academic and research linkages.
French higher education institutions were invited to explore opening campuses in India, including in GIFT City, Gujarat, as well as locations where French companies operate and require technically skilled human resources.
According to the official release, the two sides also explored ways to strengthen language learning and teacher education, share academic expertise, and promote technology-enabled learning. Discussions covered the ongoing revision of the MRQ Agreement, sharing experiences and best practices in digital education, and leveraging technology to expand access to quality learning.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening India-France cooperation in higher education, innovation, language education, and digital learning.
