President Chen Jun and a seven-member delegation led by Pierre Lemonde, scientific and technological counselor of the French Embassy in China, exchanged ideas on strengthening high-level cooperation between Nanjing University and French universities and research institutions during their meeting April 21 on Xianlin Campus.   

The president was in the company of related faculty and staff of Medical School, French Department of the School of Foreign Studies, Alumni Office and Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges.   

President Chen welcomed the delegation on their first visit to Nanjing University.    

Nanjing University, he said, maintained longstanding friendly cooperation with many first-class universities and research institutions in France, such as Paris Tech, University of Paris-Est Créteil, University of Orleans and University of Artois.    

The university has set up the “Elite Students’ Class for French” program in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Republic of France in Shanghai, he said.   

The University has engaged Nobel Laureate Le Clezio, who has been offering excellent courses for students of Nanjing University, he added.   

President Chen highlighted that France was a leading country in scientific innovation, and that as one of China’s first demonstration bases for “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” (MEI) programs, Nanjing University hopes to cooperate with French academic and scientific communities so as to promote the MEI education.      

Counsellor Lemonde expressed high appreciation for the results of cooperation between Nanjing University and the first-class universities in France.   

He said that the French government and universities now both encourage students to study in China and especially encourage them to carry out academic exchange such as exchange in physics, biology and architecture.    

He gave an active response to the MEI programs and said that he would work to promote multi-field cooperation between French high-tech enterprises and universities and Nanjing University.   

Earlier, Vice President Xue Hailin and the delegation had had another short meeting, in which they had discussions on enhancing the cooperation on advanced medical imaging technology between French high-tech research institutions and enterprises and the Medical School of Nanjing University.