Dates and Venues Confirmed
Campus France has fixed the calendar for its flagship Study and Orientation Forum, celebrating its tenth year of guidance for Congolese learners nationwide community.
Brazzaville hosts the opening programme from 7 to 9 October inside the Institut français du Congo, right in the heart of the capital’s cultural district.
The caravane then travels south to Pointe-Noire, where students will be welcomed on 10 and 11 October for two additional days of workshops.
Organisers say the split schedule makes the forum accessible to young people in both of the country’s major academic hubs without long journeys.
A Decade of Guidance
Launched in 2014, the event has grown from a modest information day into a yearly rendez-vous that now gathers universities, grandes écoles, companies, and ministries under one roof.
Campus France Congo operates under the joint tutelage of the French embassy and the Institut français du Congo, working closely with Congolese education portfolios.
That institutional triangle guarantees both diplomatic support and local relevance, a combination participants credit for the forum’s steady expansion over the past ten editions.
Officials stress that the forum’s mission aligns with Congo’s National Development Plan, which prioritises human-capital investment and international partnerships in higher learning.
Who Can Apply and How
This year’s call targets public and private higher-education institutions wishing to showcase programmes or recruit future learners.
Interested schools must fill out the dedicated online form; organisers recommend completing the application before seats run out, as stand space is limited.
Campus France confirms no participation fees are requested, underscoring its commitment to equal access and broad institutional variety.
Students themselves do not register in advance; they simply walk in during opening hours, free of charge, with an ID card for security checks.
Bridging Congo and France
French and Congolese officials regularly highlight the long-standing academic bridge between the two nations, a bridge the forum seeks to reinforce.
According to the French embassy, roughly 1 200 Congolese students pursue degrees in France each year, mainly in engineering, health sciences and management.
Campus France hopes the tenth edition will help diversify that flow by spotlighting emerging sectors like environmental technologies, digital culture and creative industries.
The presence of Congolese universities next to French grandes écoles signals a two-way partnership that encourages students to consider high-quality options at home as well.
What Students Will Find
Across the exhibition hall, stands will map out curricula, admission calendars and scholarship schemes, while alumni share lived experiences of campus life abroad and in Congo.
Topic-specific round tables are planned on employability, visa procedures, and the new digital application platform Études en France.
Human-resources managers from several companies based in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire will illustrate how certain degrees translate into concrete local jobs.
For the first time, an interactive corner will allow visitors to test virtual-reality headsets that simulate lecture theatres and laboratories in partner universities.
Voices From Organisers
‘Our ambition is to democratise excellence,’ explains Béatrice Mouton, head of Campus France Congo, noting that regional equity remains a core priority in 2023.
She recalls that last year forty-six institutions took part; the aim is to exceed fifty this October without sacrificing the quality of interaction.
Jean-Pierre Nzingoula, director of university cooperation at the Ministry of Higher Education, welcomes the initiative, calling it ‘a laboratory where public policy meets student aspiration’.
He adds that data gathered during the forum help authorities fine-tune scholarship criteria and anticipated labour-market needs for the next planning cycle.
Practical Details and Contacts
Doors open at 09:00 and close at 17:30 each day; organisers advise arriving early for popular talks, which often reach room capacity quickly.
The Institut français du Congo sits on Avenue de Gaulle in Brazzaville, a location well served by bus lines and taxi routes from all arrondissements.
In Pointe-Noire, sessions will unfold at the reading room of the Alliance française, a short walk from Place du Monument.
Further information can be requested via the dedicated address [email protected], where a small team responds to queries in French and English within 48 hours.
Looking Ahead
Beyond October, organisers plan to publish a digital booklet summarising key advice offered during panels, ensuring guidance remains available to students in remote areas.
They also intend to pilot smaller thematic days in Dolisie and Oyo, extending the forum’s reach across the national territory.
Such steps echo President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s emphasis on inclusive, skills-oriented training as a driver of diversification in the 2022–2026 governmental roadmap.
For thousands of learners gearing up to choose a course, the tenth Study and Orientation Forum promises not just brochures, but a clearer vision of tomorrow.
Meanwhile, alumni associations are mobilising volunteers to mentor attendees after the forum, offering one-to-one coaching on application essays, accommodation searches and cultural adaptation, ensuring the event’s impact extends well beyond the four days of face-to-face exchanges and networking opportunities with industry partners.