Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Our cultural relations are based on a framework agreement dated November 4th, 1967. Franco-Irish cooperation focuses on scientific cooperation, including biotechnology and information technologies, and teaching French, which is well established in secondary schools (60% of students study it), but suffers from the “all English” temptation in technological education.

The Lycée français international Samuel Beckett (Dublin, 500 students) signed a partnership agreement in January 2008 with the St Kilian’s Germano-Irish establishment to formalize the existence of the Franco-Germano-Irish “Eurocampus.” In a new building, housing students since October 2008, students from both schools follow a bilingual curriculum and, at the end of the fourth year of secondary school, can sit for the French general education certificate and the Irish Junior Certificate.

University cooperation is developing rapidly, particularly in management and business, but also in law and political science, with the aim of eventually setting up joint diploma programs. Ireland contributes greatly to the international influence of Celtic culture and its language, Irish (formerly Gaelic), is now recognized as the 21st official language of the EU, under EC Regulation No. 1/1958 regarding the Union’s languages.

Scientific cooperation is based on the Ulysses IAP, the Pasteur Institute/Trinity College Institute of Genetics agreement, and dialogue undertaken between the Evry Genopole and BioResearch Ireland. Cooperation in biotechnology and information technology is particularly significant since these subjects have strong public support.

Labeled European City of Science in 2012, Dublin will be the focus of various events related to science. Indeed, this year sees the culmination of events organized by Ireland as part of Dublin being labeled the “European City of Science” in 2012, following Barcelona and Turin.

The French Embassy is, alongside the British Council and the U.S. Embassy, a “program partner” for the festival, which will notably involve the CNRS providing documentary films and establishing connections with directors of French films.

The Irish College in Paris, an institution dating back to the sixteenth century, is a modern center for Irish students in Paris as well as the largest Irish cultural center in Europe. It was completely renovated in 2000 (€10 million construction) to promote Irish culture in France, but also in Europe, as Paris was considered the most appropriate city on the continent.