Asia-Pacific at the Collège international de Villers-Cotterêts

A research and development center. Established following the 19th Francophonie Summit, the Collège international de Villers-Cotterêts brings together a consortium of institutions committed to the French language: the International Organization of La Francophonie, the AUF, the Cité internationale de la langue française, and France Éducation international. It supports those who keep the teaching of and in French alive around the world: teachers, researchers, educational administrators, translators, and interpreters.

The “researchers-teachers” program, led by France Éducation International, has selected twenty global winners—ten researchers and ten teachers—who are nationals of or currently working in OIF member states and governments. The Class of 2026 will be in residence from August 31 to September 29, first at the Cité internationale de la langue française at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, then at France Éducation international in Sèvres.

The program’s work focuses on producing directly usable resources—such as teaching guides and self-study modules—designed for teachers facing linguistic, digital, or pedagogical challenges. Instruction is provided by faculty members from France, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, and Switzerland.

Three programs in the region

Ms. Olady Thammasalo, who holds a Ph.D. in language sciences, is a professor at the National University of Laos.

Ms. Nguyễn Nữ Hoàng Quý teaches French at the Faculty of French at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi, where she is also pursuing a Ph.D. in international relations. She views this selection as more than just personal recognition:

“For me, this residency is a wonderful recognition of my career as a teacher-researcher, but also a valuable opportunity to represent Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region within the Francophonie.”

Mr. Sor Sary is a teacher of French as a foreign language and French for specific purposes, a trainer of trainers, and an academic coordinator in the Department of Francophone Studies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. A second-year doctoral student in education sciences in France, he is devoting his dissertation to analyzing the curriculum of bilingual classes in Cambodia.

A region also represented in the “educational leaders” track

The College offers two other programs: the program for translators and interpreters, led by the OIF, and the “educational leaders” program, led by the AUF. The latter program extends the region’s presence: its second cohort brings together Cambodia and Vietnam with Angola, Armenia, Bulgaria, Canada (Ontario), Cape Verde, and Louisiana.

The region is not merely represented here; it is also hosting the program: a gathering of this cohort will take place in Hanoi in September 2026, and another in Phnom Penh in January 2027.

Fields of study aligned with the region’s priorities

Teaching French as a foreign language, bilingual classes, French for specific purposes, and French for international relations: the fields represented by these programs align with the priorities of the region’s education systems. The AUF in Asia-Pacific is making its expertise and network available to institutions and authorities to ensure that this presence is maintained in future cohorts of the Collège.

Source: www.auf.org/