Diplomacy, trade and politics are fundamentals of inter‑state relations. However, education, particularly university education, too, has sustained ties in many cases. Students study abroad, researchers collaborate internationally and institutions build cross‑border partnerships paving the way for education‑led relations between states. Higher education offers a promising avenue for strengthening bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and France. Such cooperation is best measured through sustainable institutional partnerships, joint academic programmes and research collaborations.
Campus France partnership agreement for postgraduate scholarships was signed in December 2011. Next came the Hubert Curien Péridot programme which aims to promote scientific collaboration and cooperation between institutions in both countries through joint research. In February 2023, Pakistan and France signed the Roadmap for Bilateral Cooperation, declaring education, science and technology as an area of mutual interest.
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These initiatives coincide with Pakistan’s remarkable performance in European higher education programmes. Pakistan has ranked first worldwide in Erasmus Mundus scholarships over the last five years. 189 Pakistani, 146 Indian and 119 Bangladeshi students were awarded the scholarships in 2024. The pattern held in 2025, with Pakistan receiving 114 scholarships, India 96 and Bangladesh 95. In 2026, the top students from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India numbered 98, 80 and 75 respectively.
The international higher‑education market in South Asia is growing in importance for France, but student mobility varies significantly across countries. Indian students are increasing their presence in France, with 9,093 enrolling in French higher‑education institutions for 2024-2025, 34 percent more than the year before, according to Campus France data. The number of students from Pakistan has increased from 1,000 to 1,497.
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