French Exchange Students Attend Winter Term on KCC Campus
French exchange students attend winter term on KCC campus
French student Cassius Mansour get hands-on training in manufacturing at Klamath Community College from teaching assistant Gregor Leist in 2025, a benefit for students early in their college careers. (KCC)
KLAMATH FALLS — Nine French exchange students are spending their winter term on the Klamath Community College campus, soaking in American culture and enjoying Klamath Basin activities. This is the second cohort to visit KCC in as many years.
“With the arrival of our second group of French students, KCC continues to strengthen its role as a hub for global learning—benefiting classrooms, campus culture and the local community,” Dr. Fred Griffiths, KCC director of International Programs, said.
The students are from the CESI School of Engineering which has 26 campuses around France. It supports students through customizable, five-year education programs leading to a Master’s level engineering degree accredited by the French state. The schools are English speaking, have 150 partner universities around the globe, network with 8,000 companies and have more than 110,000 alumni.
The students attend KCC under an exchange agreement. The exchange operates on a reciprocal model, with students paying tuition at their home institution and required student fees at the host institution.
KCC is one of two colleges that offer the exchange through CESI in year 2 of their students. The other is in Togo, West Africa. Students are required to do a second exchange in year 4, and have many other options available then.
KCC is one of two colleges that offer the exchange through CESI. The other is in Togo, West Africa.
“I heard about the opportunity to go to the United States through CESI and, at first, I didn't really care about what I was going to learn. I just wanted to go to the states,” Ambre Dorssers from Toulouse said. Dorssers is studying manufacturing. “I chose to do the manufacturing program because it's more hands on, you can get to work the machines. That's what I love to do,” she said.
Leon Zanditenas and Martin Lambart, both from LaRochelle, signed up to come to the U.S. together.
“I wanted to experience a different culture, a different lifestyle,” Zanditenas said.
“Since KCC and CESI has this partnership, I chose to come here because I thought it would be interesting to live in another country for three months and discover the culture and study and learn the language,” Lambart said.
The French students who were on campus last year, also recommended the trip to the students, they said.
Lorenzo Canet de Kerdoug from LaBaule, near Brittany, noted that it is rare for students early in their college careers to travel abroad. That is what made the KCC program attractive.
Most of the students are taking engineering, manufacturing or computer science classes at KCC.
What they like about the KCC program is the physical, creative production of items on campus, such as using a lathe or CAD machine. At CESI in France, the work is theory-based.
The students are bunking at the dorms on the Oregon Institute of Technology campus, except for Dorssers, who is staying with a KCC host family. The family has plans to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, which Dossers is looking forward to. The students will be touring the Klamath Basin, as well as visiting Crater Lake National Park and Lava Beds National Monument.
It is hoped that the French students’ visit will inspire American students and instructors to attend CESI in France or the Rennes School of Business, with which KCC has a partnership. Students can obtain a business degree in three years by attending Rennes in their third year of study.
At Rennes, located outside of Paris, 100% of the courses are taught in English, 90% of the faculty are international and more than 100 nationalities are represented on the campus.
“It is one of the most affordable bachelor degree programs available to students,” Griffiths said.
Students interested in applying for the program should contact KCC International Programs Director Dr. Fred Griffiths at 971-380-5185 or griffiths@klamathcc.edu.
Nine French students, a student from Brazil and one from Tanzania make up the contingent of International students studying on the KCC campus this year. (KCC)
