Welcome to France label - L'Institut Agro Dijon

Created in 2019, the Welcome to France label stemmed from the initiative to make France more attractive to international students, it was and still is a way to guarantee the best conditions during an international students time abroad.

Based on a number of criteria, this certification covers the main areas of hosting an international student :

access to information
recruitment and welcoming procedures
the course offer and support
campus life and housing facilities
post-graduate follow-up and networking

The Welcome to France label is valid for a four year period, during which the school will be reevaluated by a committee of experts.

In May 2021 the independent committee from Campus France informed us that we are now holders of the Welcome to France label. This is great news for the whole team at l'Institut Agro Dijon after months and months of hard work.

In order to celebrate this moment and inform you of this achievement we decided to interview the head of our International Relations Department: Hélène Coche-Michelin. In order to get an insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes.

Place de la Liberté, Dijon is one of the main squares in the city and a true cultural hub.

Guillaume gate on Darcy square in Dijon, France — Guillaume gate on Darcy square in Dijon, Burgundy, France

Place François Rude à Dijon — Place François Rude, Dijon is another main square in the heart of the city.

5 questions for Hélène Coche-Michelin, head of the International Relations Department

1. Can you say a few words on international mobility at l'Institut Agro Dijon?

“International mobility of studies holds an important place in the curriculum of our engineering students; they must all undertake a semester-long internship abroad during their second year. They can also study abroad for a semester in one of our partner universities. With l'Institut Agro Dijon, a student can potentially complete half of their degree abroad. From next year, students will have the opportunity to register in an international itinerary that will allow them to recognise their involvement in international mobility or teaching.”

2. Can you explain in a few words what the Welcome to France label is?

“Issued by Campus France the Welcome to France label allows Higher Education Institutions to enhance the welcoming system put in place for international students. The criteria focuses on the quality and accessibility of information and personalised welcoming facilities put in place. This also covers the organisation of events at the start of the school year plus accessibility to housing etc.”

3. How do you obtain this label and what are the benefits for the school?

“This label is issued by Campus France based on an application file that is validated by an independent committee. The label allows us to benefit from an increased online visibility and on the Campus France communication tools. We can also put this label forward through our own communication campaigns. It also allows us to communicate internally to ensure the proper welcoming of international students.”

4. Can you give us some examples of things you do in order to answer to international student’s needs?

“All of our international students benefit from a personalised welcome with a dedicated contact who will help them prepare their arrival, we collect them from the train station, we accompany them throughout all of the administrative steps (banking, insurance, etc.), and they are allocated a room in our halls of residence.”

5. What will be the next steps in order to reach the three star rating?

“We will continue to work to improve the English courses we offer, this is an important step in order to reach the three star rating.”