Cultural fusion in Suzhou: SKEMA China contributes to the Franco-Chinese academic dialogue

Published on November 23, 2023

SKEMA Business School was invited as a guest at the recent Franco-Chinese cultural forum held in Suzhou on 15 November. It was a good opportunity for the school to enhance its presence in China, a country where it contributes to promoting intercultural and academic dialogue, among an audience of political figures from France and China.

Under the theme of "Franco-Chinese cultural exchanges", the forum brought together 300 personalities from the Franco-Chinese political, cultural, and economic world, with notable attendance by the former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, and Bertrand Lortholary, the French ambassador to China.

Also in attendance were Jean-François Copé, mayor of Meaux, Philippe Augier, mayor of Deauville, and Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of the Havas Group. From the arts sector, film director Jean-Jacques Annaud and pianist Michel Dalberto were also present.

SKEMA students participate

Frank Yang, a student in the MSc Corporate Financial Management, and Clemence Zheng, a student in the MSc International Marketing and Business Development, served as interpreters during the visit to the Suzhou Silk Museum, thanks to their perfect command on Mandarin and French.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin commends SKEMA's actions in China

During his address at the forum, Jean-Pierre Raffarin praised the quality of education offered by SKEMA in Suzhou. Quentin Marc, a student in the ESDHEM programme, noted, “The importance of cultural, political, and commercial ties between France and China is not always fully appreciated. This forum has the merit of highlighting the extent of these relations between the two countries. For us students, this is very instructive and enlightening. I was able to talk with many people, including Jean-Jacques Annaud, which was great!"

What's the Franco-Chinese Cultural Forum?

The Franco-Chinese Cultural Forum is jointly organised by the Association des anciens étudiants chinois en Occident (Association of Chinese Alumni in the West) and by the Fondation prospective et Innovation (Prospective and Innovation Foundation). Over the years, it has become a globally renowned event for promoting cultural exchanges between China and France.