On 22 March 2024, the French-Upper Mekong Sub-region Academic Cooperation Centre, MFU in cooperation with Alliance Française Chiang Rai arranged the Francophonie Day to promote French language learning at Kham Mok Luang Room, M-square Building.
The event, supported by the French Embassy and the Embassy of Belgium in Bangkok, brought together over 40 students who are interested in French language from Damrongratsongkroh School, Mae Chan Wittayakhom School, and Mae Fah Luang University. Students were divided into five groups, rotated among five stations, and took part in learning activities that allow them to learn French culture and communicate in French with instructors.
In the opening ceremony, Ms. Flavie Lepoutre, Director of French-Upper Mekong Sub-region Academic Cooperation Centre gave an opening speech. There were keynote guests joining the event as instructors including Ms. Marie-Laure Verdier-Shin, Director of Alliance Française Chiang Rai; Ms. Sophie Kalanquin and Ms. Anais Guillem from Alliance Française Chiang Rai; and Ms. Songsavan Worraarpakorn, lecturer of the School of Liberal Arts, MFU. Also, the French Embassy, the Embassy of Belgium, the Embassy of Luxembourg, and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok supported special gifts for participants.
The International Francophonie Day, established in 1988, is celebrated every year on March 20 with a focus on sharing and appreciating the French language and francophone culture among French-speaking nations and groups. The Francophone community contains over 321 million people in 88 countries around the world.
