France Education International
Founded in 1945, and a national public institution since 1987, France Éducation international (former CIEP, Centre international d’études pédagogiques), is a public institution of reference on a national and international level, in the field of education and training. Its primary mission is to promote French expertise on the subject. It is recognised both in France and abroad for its skills with regard to expert evaluation, training, assessment, and management of international projects. FEI is a key public operator under the auspices of the Ministry of National Education and Youth. It is, in addition, the main operating partner of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs on cooperation in education. It relies on a network of national and international experts and partners, as well as on its 250 staff members.
Its missions are in line with the government’s international priorities and cover 3 main areas:
1. Promotion of French language: FEI provides training programmes for teachers and managers and delivers certifications in French
2. International mobility: FEI manages mobility programmes for language assistants and teachers. It also delivers comparability certificates for the recognition of foreign qualifications in France
3. Cooperation in Education: FEI manages several sectorial projects in the area of education, professional training and higher education.
French language
FEI contributes to the promotion of the French language abroad as an international language of communication and schooling. As such, it leads audits and expertise missions, both in France and abroad, in French as a foreign language, as a second language and as a language of teaching.
In its offer for lifelong learning, FEI proposes annual training programmes for French bilingual establishments as well as summer and winter universities (BELC training programmes) for French teachers, trainers and management personnel.
It develops the required tools for distance training, such as PRO FLE (French as a foreign language) modules. Its activities include, amongst others, the organisation of seminars with various partners, within the context of reflecting on French policies abroad.
International Mobility
FEI contributes to promoting international exchanges in the field of education with a specific service that belongs to the Network of European Information Centres ENIC-NARIC. This department is responsible for issuing statements which recognise the level of foreign qualifications. The centre also provides information concerning regulated professions in France and the procedures for the recognition of French qualifications abroad. It participates in Erasmus+ KA3 projects, together with other ENIC-NARIC members, on a regular basis.
FEI is also responsible for the educational and administrative management of qualifications for non-French-speaking foreigners. This includes offering diplomas of French as a foreign language. The centre also provides expertise in the educational and psychometric field.
Cooperation in education
Its four main areas of action are: basic education, secondary education, vocational education and training, and higher education. Championing French expertise in education, FEI is both a resource centre and a think-tank that facilitates consortium building. It also sets up networks of experts and institutions worldwide. FEI participates in the design, submission and follow-up of invitations to tender project proposals from international sponsors, in collaboration with French and foreign, public and private organisations. Within this framework, it manages and implements educational training projects.
By relying on actors in the French education system, FEI offers training and field studies for management staff in education systems outside France. Apart from its annual seminar that addresses more specifically the Southern countries, it also organises international symposiums for reflexion and training on partnership educational issues.
Furthermore, it runs audit and expertise missions in the sector of education and training and designates these assignments according to geographical priorities of French cooperation abroad.