French envoy urges stronger Bangladesh-France academic ties

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet on Tuesday called for stronger academic collaboration and deeper people-to-people exchanges between Bangladesh and France, while urging greater international cooperation to address global challenges, including climate change, conflict and human rights.

He made the remarks while speaking at the second edition of the "Meet the Ambassador" series, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh at the Senate Hall of Rajshahi University (RU).

RU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Alim also addressed the programme. Other speakers included FES Bangladesh Resident Representative Dr. Felix Gerdes and Programme Adviser Shadhan Kumar Das. The session was moderated by CGS President Zillur Rahman.

Speaking on France's feminist foreign policy, Séré-Charlet stressed the need for equal participation of women and men in diplomacy, policymaking and public life. He said greater opportunities must be created for women in international affairs while fundamental rights should be protected regardless of gender, identity or background.

Highlighting climate change as one of the world's most pressing challenges, the ambassador said there is no planet "B" and called for stronger collective action to safeguard the environment for future generations.

He said conflicts, violence, human rights violations and political instability have created multiple global crises, making cooperation among nations more important than ever.

The French envoy underscored the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, bilateral partnerships, multilateral institutions and respect for international law. He also expressed concern over the international community's inability to respond collectively to violence and human rights abuses, urging countries to uphold shared values and pursue peaceful, coordinated solutions.

He further cautioned against dividing the world into categories such as the "Global South" and the "Collective West", arguing that such labels often fail to reflect the diversity and complexity of countries and societies.

Professor Abdul Alim said today's students are pursuing higher education amid rapid political, economic, technological and environmental changes, including climate change, conflict, migration, economic uncertainty, disinformation and digital transformation.

He encouraged students to remain curious, broaden their perspectives beyond textbooks and strengthen their analytical, digital and intercultural skills to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.

Referring to the longstanding friendship between Bangladesh and France, Alim said growing cooperation in education, culture, trade, climate action and technology provides a strong foundation for expanding academic partnerships and people-to-people exchanges.

Zillur Rahman said diplomacy is ultimately about people and connections, noting that Bangladesh and France have built enduring cooperation in trade, education, culture, development, climate action, technology and international affairs. Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global landscape, he said, the discussion was both timely and relevant.