On March 25, the Office of Global Strategies hosted the Consul General of France in Chicago, Mr. Guillaume Lacroix, and the Attaché for Science and Technology, Professor James Dat, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to discuss current and future collaborations with France.
Committed to strengthening existing relationships and building new ones between Nebraska and France, Consul General Lacroix arrived in Omaha on March 24 for the Omaha Sister Cities Association gala to discuss the creation of a new sister city relationship with Omaha, Nebraska and the Omaha Beach area in Normandy, France. After meeting with the UNO International Studies and Programs office the morning of March 25, the Consul General arrived at UNL for the first time since his appointment in August 2017.
“It was an honor to welcome Consul General Lacroix to campus for the first time and to have the chance to share with him the many ways that UNL is engaging in France, from education abroad to long-standing research partnerships in Engineering in Rouen,” said Josh Davis, interim Associate Vice Chancellor for International Engagement and Global Strategies and UNL’s Senior International Officer.
Donde Plowman, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, greeted the Consul General and Scientific Attaché along with Davis. Plowman welcomed the delegation to campus and reiterated the importance of global partnerships at UNL. The Consul General expressed France recognizes the Midwest as a prime region to cultivate partnerships, and his strong desire to build engagement with UNL. Consul General Lacroix also expressed his condolences for the Nebraskans who suffered from the recent flooding across the state.
Escorted by Office of Global Strategies Officers Erika Hepburn and Courtney Van Hoosen, the delegation next visited a French language conversation class taught by Professor Catherine Johnson. Consul General Lacroix explained his duties at the Consulate and answered student questions ranging from internship possibilities, information about living in France and studying abroad. After the class, Consul General Lacroix remarked he was impressed by the students’ strong command of the French language.
Several faculty and researchers from Nebraska’s College of Engineering then met with the Consul General and Attaché to discuss current collaborations in France. Since March 2006, the College of Engineering has offered a dual master’s degree in engineering Mechanics and Materials Engineering with the University of Rouen in France. Engineering professor Dr. Merhdad Negahban, the driving force behind the college’s partnership with Rouen, attended the meeting, along with several faculty from the Mechanics and Materials Engineering department, including Associate Dean for Graduate and International Programs Dan Linzell, Associate Dean for Research Mark Riley, and Department Chair Jeffrey Shield. The discussion included the college’s various grant-funded research projects, study abroad programs and visiting researchers in France, as well as the Consul General’s hope to build more relationships between UNL and French companies to employ engineering students.
After a brief tour of the College’s 3D-printing and materials lab, the Consul General met with UNL students who had studied abroad in France and were continuing their studies in French. In the past two years alone, more than 75 UNL students have studied abroad in France on various programs, including the French department’s Montpellier program and Summer in Angers. Consul General Lacroix also had a chance to meet some of the French international students currently at Nebraska.
Impressed by the more than 200 students enrolled in French courses at Nebraska, Consul General Lacroix was also excited to meet with Dr. Jordan Stump and Dr. Julia Frengs, both professors in the French program in the Department of Modern Languages, to discuss the program and opportunities for expansion with possible funding from the French government and other organizations. Dr. Stump and Consul General Lacroix both noted the importance of ensuring high-level support for the French language and literature at the university, and discussed possible future collaboration on a 20th and 21st Century studies conference the French department plans to hold in March 2020.
The final visit for the French Consulate delegation was a trip to Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC), where they met with Kate Engel, Director of Communications and Culture. Engel explained the unique public-private partnerships that take place on NIC, as well as some of the international companies that have made it their headquarters.
“During the Consul General’s visit, we discussed a number of different ways UNL might grow its partnerships with France, including possibly expanding French language and culture offerings, growing research ties in areas of mutual interest, and even attracting French companies to Nebraska Innovation campus,” added Davis. “I look forward to continuing to work with the French Consulate to following up on these ideas.”