Pralhad Joshi, French higher edu minister hold talks on strengthening research, institutional partnerships

Union education minister Pralhad Joshi held a meeting with HE Philippe Baptiste, minister for higher education, research and space of France, and discussed ways to boost cooperation between India and France in education, research, innovation, academic mobility and institutional partnerships.

The education ministers held talks in the field of higher education including strengthening institutional linkages, 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, and emphasised on institutional interaction, collaborative academic activities and research.

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Throwing light on the cooperation in education as an important pillar of the bilateral relationship, the education minister said that the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 provided a family opportunity to further strengthen the cooperation in education, research and innovation.

The education ministers exchanged views on further promoting knowledge partnerships between the two countries and discussed opportunities to build upon existing institutional collaborations and create new avenues for joint academic and research initiatives.

Notably, the government invited the French higher education institutions to explore opening of branch campuses in India including in GIFT City, Gujarat and also at places where French companies were located and required technical human resources, according to the official notification.

Both the ministers also explored opportunities to boost language learning and teacher education, share academic expertise and promote technology-enabled learning.

The discussion also covered ongoing revision of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement between India and France, sharing experiences and best practices in digital education and technology to expand access to quality learning.