St. Edward’s University to Establish Educational Programs in France
 St. Edward’s University announces that it will begin efforts to establish a spectrum of educational programs in France for French and American students. Professional Education courses that are anticipated to begin in Fall 2008 include:
- Project Management
- Information Technology
- Business English
- Management and Sales
Programs such as Project Management, Information Technology and others are in demand globally and in the United States. As the only U.S. college to achieve the status of Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and as a partner of the Project Management Institute®, St. Edward’s is in a unique position to expand in France.
Other programs that may be offered in the near future include:
- Study Abroad
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- University Preparation courses
Western France location honors university’s roots
St. Edward’s selected Western France as the most attractive region and Angers as the best city in which to establish operations. Angers is close to many other French and European cities and is located near two schools that will collaborate with St. Edward’s in this expansion effort: Universite Catholique de l’Ouest and Institut Bois-Robert. Angers is located in the heart of the Loire Valley, less than two hours by train from Paris and about one hour from the Atlantic port city of Nantes.
Establishing a physical presence in France allows St. Edward’s to return to the homeland of its founders – the Congregation of Holy Cross in Le Mans, France.
New French non-profit business approved
The university’s Board of Trustees has approved a resolution that authorizes the creation of legal non-profit business entity in France, and negotiation of lease agreements for office, classroom and housing space.
To assist with the creation of a non-profit business entity in the Anjou region of France, the General Council of Anjou, France has approved a financial subsidy. The promise of subsidies includes 50 percent of leasing fees and investment in equipment for the first three years.
Global Understanding Initiative broadens for university
This expansion to France is part of the university’s Global Understanding Initiative that provides students with opportunities to see themselves in the context of a global community. Through this program St. Edward’s is committed to helping students demonstrate knowledge of politics, economics, culture and communication through a global framework and to participate in international experiences.
Université Catholique de l’Ouest (UCO)
Established in 1875, the Université Catholique de l’Ouest is a private, Catholic university offering a full range of degree programs. UCO enrolls more than 9,000 students on three campuses (Angers, Vannes/Arradon and Guingamp) and has a faculty of 400. The school is particularly known for its Centre International d’Etudes Françaises (CIDEF) which enables students to master French language and culture.
Institut Bois-Robert
Located 10 minutes from downtown Angers, Institut Bois-Robert offers secondary education to an international student body of 250. Nestled in a 10 hectare campus, the school offers small classes and a close-knit family atmosphere. The campus includes a central manor house, the “chateau” classrooms, sleeping quarters, a gymnasium and other sports facilities. The headmaster and his family live at the school.
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