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French Consul General visits Heidelberg University of Education!
French Consul General Gaël de Maisonneuve visits PH Heidelberg for the first time, discusses French lessons and collaborations.
French Consul General visits Heidelberg University of Education!
On July 23, 2025, a memorable visit took place at the Heidelberg University of Education (PHHD). Monsieur Gaël de Maisonneuve, the French Consul General, met a teacher training college in Germany for the first time. He was accompanied by a delegation including Dr. Joëlle Hecker, Dr. Emmanuel Delille and Juliette Luquet belonged. Together they sought discussions with prominent representatives of the PHHD, including Prof. Dr. Sylvie Méron-Minuth, Prof. Dr. Karin Vogt, Henrike Schön and Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Dammer.
The discussions focused on the current situation of the French subject at the university. There are currently around 50 students enrolled in this subject. A central issue that was raised was the shortage of teachers in French. The Consul General and the university representatives agreed on the need to counteract this shortage.
Perspectives and collaborations
Plans to improve the situation and increase student numbers were also presented at the meeting. The PHHD plans to work more intensively with other universities and schools in the region. The projects include initiatives such as “Together instead of next to each other” and “taster days” for potential students.
Another topic of discussion was possible collaborations and projects to promote French teaching. The French Embassy’s “Procope” program was mentioned, which offers financial support for (young) researchers. Scholarships from the French Foreign Ministry were also discussed, which enable prospective teachers of Romance languages to stay in France.
Exchange and study opportunities
In addition to these discussions, various exchange opportunities were presented. The Erasmus+ and SEMP programs in particular allow students to complete stays abroad at renowned institutions in France and French-speaking Switzerland. Stays are possible in the cities of Montpellier, Besançon and Lille as well as in Friborg and Lausanne, among others.
Overall, Monsieur Gaël de Maisonneuve's visit highlighted the importance of German-French educational cooperation. Both sides showed great interest in deeper cooperation in order to overcome the challenges in the area of German-French training and to intensify subject-specific exchange. Further information can be found here Heidelberg University of Education as well as that German-French Institute.