The Education Cooperation Attaché of the French Embassy in Indonesia, Antoine Bricout, visited Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) to strengthen partnerships and promote the French LPDP Scholarship Program.
The visit was warmly welcomed by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, represented by Vice Rector III Dr. Rudianto, M.Si, on Tuesday (7/10) at the UMSU VIP Room, Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan.
Antoine was accompanied by the Director of Alliance Française Medan, Pogy Kurniawan, the Campus France Indonesia representative for Sumatra, Nur Hidayah, and the team from UMSU’s Office of International Affairs and Cooperation (OIC).
In his remarks, Antoine emphasized the importance of international collaboration in higher education, especially in research programs and LPDP Master’s and Doctoral scholarships in France.
“I believe this kind of collaboration is very important, especially for LPDP Master’s and Doctoral programs in France, as well as joint research,” he said.
He also expressed his desire to further strengthen UMSU’s global partnerships and ensure the effective implementation of programs outlined in the existing MoU.
Antoine added that France offers extensive opportunities for academic cooperation, including in business and management, as well as international journal publications.
“We aim to collaborate with many universities—not only UGM, UI, and other major institutions, but also universities across Indonesia. Many courses in France can be adapted to Indonesian academic needs,” he explained.
Earlier, Vice Rector III Dr. Rudianto expressed his gratitude and pride for the visit. He gave a brief introduction to UMSU as an Excellent-accredited university with international recognition, most recently the FIBAA accreditation from Germany for four of its study programs.
“I am very proud to welcome Antoine today. We hope this visit will further strengthen collaboration between UMSU and France,” he said.
UMSU has built partnerships with several educational institutions in France through academic and cultural initiatives, including the establishment of the French Corner at the UMSU Library and the IFI Screening Movie program, which has been active for the past three months.
“This is concrete proof of the strong collaboration between UMSU and France. However, there are still aspects that need to be strengthened, such as online learning development and joint research,” said OIC UMSU representative Agus Sani.
The meeting continued with the dissemination of information on the LPDP–French Government Scholarship Program, which introduces scholarship opportunities for Indonesian students pursuing Master’s and Doctoral studies in France.
Antoine explained that France is one of the leading countries in innovation and research. He added that the program is open to various academic fields, from management and accounting to technology.
“The French LPDP Doctoral Program was officially launched in May 2025 and is now being promoted across universities in Indonesia, including UMSU,” he said.
