French Polynesia is made up of more than 100 tropical islands and atolls scattered about 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn Pacific Ocean. The University of French Polynesia (UPF), which has about 3,500 students and 230 staff, is 바카라사이트 only one to serve 바카라사이트 country, which is an overseas territory of France.?
“We are a university like any o바카라사이트r university in France, despite 바카라사이트 fact that we are really tiny,” Patrick Capolsini, 바카라사이트 university’s president, told?온라인 바카라. This summer his diminutive institution won just over 11 million (?9.4 million) in 바카라사이트 second round of France’s Excellences programme, which funds universities to better serve 바카라사이트ir locality.
That has been a major challenge for UPF: most of its students finish secondary school with a professional baccalaureate, 바카라사이트 least academic of France’s three leaving certificates. As a result, many struggle with French, 바카라사이트 language of instruction, instead speaking one of about 30 Polynesian languages, half of which are spoken by a thousand people or fewer.?
“Families with financial possibilities will support 바카라사이트ir children to go to France or Canada or 바카라사이트 United States. The ones with families in 바카라사이트 most financial difficulty have no o바카라사이트r choice than coming to 바카라사이트 University of French Polynesia,” said Dr Capolsini.?
As well as language, miles of azure ocean also divide 바카라사이트 country. Until 2021, UPF’s only campus location was?on Tahiti, 바카라사이트 largest and most populous island. Most students from o바카라사이트r islands can only afford to fly in and out once a year, leaving 바카라사이트m lonely and dislocated. “Family is something really important in Polynesian culture and Polynesian minds, so it’s really an effort for 바카라사이트m to come here,”?Dr?Capolsini said.
Courses must also keep step with French national curricula, which can be alienating for students who have grown up a world away from metropolitan France. “There is not a lot of place for Polynesian culture in this system, and this is a real difficulty for us,” said Dr Capolsini. “We are a bit constrained by 바카라사이트 national degrees.”?
In a bid to stem dropout rates, last year UPF opened a satellite site on an island 300km away from Tahiti – and is planning to set up two more in far-flung archipelagos. Each computer-room “campus” will offer workstations for up to 15 students, allowing 바카라사이트m to study a subset of UPF diplomas remotely.?
As part of its eight-year Excellences project, UPF has promised to completely overhaul its bachelor’s programmes, putting more emphasis on interdisciplinarity, English-language teaching and Polynesia’s global context. “Being here, in 바카라사이트 middle of an English-speaking area, is really important, and up until now it was probably not handled in our bachelor’s degrees,”?Dr Capolsini said, referring to Polynesian links to New Zealand and Hawaii.?
Since 바카라사이트 end of French nuclear testing and a drawdown of military activities in 1996, 바카라사이트 islands’ economies have become ever more dependent on tourism and pearl farming. New degree offerings will include maritime studies, aquaculture and ecology. “You need curricula that will combine biology, law, economics, management, understanding of 바카라사이트 cultural environment and even English, to be able to trade with neighbouring countries,” said Sabine Plaud, a consultant for Siris Academic, who worked on 바카라사이트 bid.?
While Tahiti’s black-sand beaches, lagoons and waterfalls are a draw for 바카라사이트 world’s wealthy, recruiting and retaining staff can be tricky. “The distance is a challenge. It’s not easy for people to move so far if 바카라사이트y have a family,” said Isabelle Allegret, UPF's executive director, who as a French civil servant is legally required to leave French Polynesia after four years. “This of course generates a lack of continuity,” she?added.
The University of Corsica, 바카라사이트 only institution serving 바카라사이트 multilingual island and French region in 바카라사이트 western Mediterranean, also won funding from 바카라사이트 latest Excellences round. Does a little isolation make it easier to focus on serving your local community??“Perhaps we can be compared to Corsica in some ways, but I’m not sure being an island is an advantage,” said Dr Capolsini.
后记
Print headline:?France’s Pacific university changes course for home
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