On the bicentenary of the battle of Trafalgar, students from British and French universities will meet to promote Franco-British cooperation and the global competitiveness of British and French universities.
On the bicentenary of the battle of Trafalgar, students from British and French universities will meet to promote Franco-British cooperation and the global competitiveness of British and French universities.
Founded in 2004, the Franco-British Student Alliance (FBSA) unites the students and young alumni of six major universities: the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, Sciences-Po Paris, HEC Paris and Ecole Polytechnique. The alliance has the patronage of Her Majesty The Queen and The President of the French Republic. The first FBSA summit begins today, October 21.
At 6pm GMT, 7pm Paris-time, on Friday October 21, 200 years to the moment when the Admiral Nelson and the Emperor Napoleon joined battle, Her Majesty The Queen will address those aboard Nelson’s ship, commemorating Trafalgar Day and the continuing Franco-British friendship. At the same time, the French Minister for Defence, Madame Michèle Alliot-Marie, will inaugurate the first Franco-British student summit, reminding the 300 French and British students gathered before Napoleon’s tomb at Invalides of the strength of cross-Channel relations.
The summit’s programme begins on Saturday October 22. It will be a forum for the dynamic exchange of ideas between generations and across disciplines on the major challenges of the 21st century where Franco-British collaboration could make a positive difference. Three hundred students, numerous business leaders, NGO campaigners, academics, journalists and politicians are expected to attend. The summit will tackle ‘Corporate Responsibility in International Development’. Rt Hon The Baroness Amos, Leader of the House of Lords, will speak as part of a Round Table discussion entitled ‘Defence and Development: a special role for the UK and France?’ The Summit aims to be an occasion for current decision-makers to obtain opinions from the citizens and professionals of tomorrow’s world.
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