Alliance Française Medan (AF Medan) officially launched Warung Prancis and held a sharing session with a French student at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU). The event took place at the UMSU Library on Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan, on Wednesday (April 29).
The event was officially opened by UMSU Vice Rector III Rudianto and attended by AF Medan Vocational Instructor Sylvian Lelong-Lacroix, French intern student at AF Medan Julia Marbot, AF Medan Head of Pedagogy Gea, representative of the Embassy of France in Indonesia Nur Hidayah, Head of OIC UMSU Rafiqah Nalar Rizky, and Head of the Student Affairs Bureau Abdurrahman Zuhdi.
The Warung Prancis corner at the UMSU library was officially inaugurated by Vice Rector III Rudianto together with Sylvian Lelong-Lacroix through a ribbon-cutting ceremony as a symbolic opening.
Sylvian explained that AF Medan serves as a center for French language and culture, focusing on cultural exchange. The Warung Prancis concept was designed as a relaxed and informal learning space while remaining educational.
“Warung Prancis is not a formal classroom, but a place to gather, learn, and explore French culture through various interactive activities. Moving forward, we plan to develop more collaborative programs with UMSU,” he explained.
Earlier in his remarks, Vice Rector III Rudianto expressed gratitude for the establishment of Warung Prancis on campus. According to him, the program serves as an academic enrichment initiative while also creating new opportunities for students to learn foreign languages.
“We are grateful that Warung Prancis is now present as a new learning space for students. UMSU has already offered English and Arabic language programs, and we previously planned the development of Chinese language studies as well. We hope French will also attract strong interest because it offers significant opportunities for international study and global experiences,” he stated.
He also expressed hope that the collaboration would continue to expand into larger programs in the future and attract students interested in international affairs and global culture.
During the sharing session, French student Julia Marbot shared insights about common stereotypes surrounding French society. Gea then introduced participants to basic French language learning, while Nur Hidayah delivered a presentation about universities and higher education opportunities in France.
Through this event, Alliance Française Medan and Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara hope students can gain a more authentic understanding of France while broadening their perspectives on future opportunities for international study and cultural exchange.
