Sciences Po Turns the Spotlight on India in Ambitious French Education Drive 

By Neerav December 10, 2025
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France’s prestigious social science institution, Sciences Po, is making a significant and deliberate push into the Indian student market. This concerted effort is part of a larger national strategy spearheaded by President Macron, who has set an ambitious target of welcoming 30,000 Indian students to France by the year 2030.

While French engineering and management schools have historically been the main recruiters from India, Sciences Po is now leveraging its academic strengths in social sciences and its growing partnerships across the subcontinent. The move is already paying off, with the university reporting a remarkable 30% jump in overall international applications, citing a renewed prioritisation of India as an “intellectual and academic superpower.”

Sciences Po is looking beyond the major metropolitan hubs, receiving a flurry of “excellent applications” from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. Its recruitment approach focuses not on rigid cut-offs, but on assessing the calibre of the student, using essays, references, CVs, and a mandatory online interview to evaluate their potential for active classroom engagement. They even offer Hindi as an elective at their highly international Le Havre undergraduate campus, demonstrating a cultural commitment to their South Asian students.

The institution’s strategy is not to open an overseas campus, but to deepen educational ties through local collaborations. A prime example is the new dual Master’s degree in urban development launched with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, which sees students split their studies between the two countries. This dual-degree approach, alongside a robust offering of scholarships like the prestigious Émile Boutmy award, is designed to ensure students gain both global exposure and specific regional knowledge.

This strategic focus by Sciences Po highlights a maturing educational partnership between France and India. The university’s actions—from tailored programmes and scholarships to a nuanced, holistic admissions process—show a genuine commitment to attracting and nurturing the brightest minds. By fostering these intellectual bonds, France is not just aiming to hit a political target; it is investing in a generation of globally minded professionals who will strengthen the deep ties between the two nations for decades to come.

Source: THE PIE NEWS

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