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Study in Cannes, France


Study in Cannes, France

Cannes, located on the sparkling Mediterranean coast near Monaco, is synonymous with the star-studded international film Festival that bears its name. As might be expected given the sheer quantities of celebrities and VIPs that descend on it each year, Cannes is a city of overwhelming glamour and luxury. Palatial hotels overlooking the sea, broad avenues lined with palm trees, and chic boutiques are all ubiquitous here, as are the fabulously affluent tourists who are inevitably attracted to such places. In recent years, the popularity of Cannes among worldwide jetsetters (to say nothing of its pleasant climate and abundant hotel rooms) has led to its selection as host city for a variety of conferences and festivals. The Cannes Film Festival is no longer the only item on the city's calendar - notable recent additions have included the 2011 G-20 summit and the new Shopping Festival, a wintertime bonanza of retail therapy at various luxury stores across the city.
 
Unsurprisingly, the economy of Cannes is largely based on tourism. Hotels, resorts, casinos, and shops bring in much of the city's annual income today, although other industries are becoming increasingly prominent, particularly aerospace and other high-tech engineering-based fields. The Mandelieu Space Center, located in Cannes, is Europe's oldest and arguably most successful manufacturer of satellites and orbital technology.
 
While many have predicted that high tech manufacturing will one day give rise to a flourishing of higher education in Cannes, this is not yet taken place – education continues to be something of an afterthought. Cannes and its environs are home to a small handful of colleges, none of them particularly noteworthy. These institutions are (for the most part) accredited and perfectly reputable, but they cater almost conclusively to local students; few, if any, students from other regions and countries would think of traveling to Cannes in order to get a college degree.
 
Fortunately for Cannes, the same is not true of non-degree French language programs. Many foreigners, drawn by the allure of Cannes's reputation for balmy weather, beautiful people, and pleasurable lifestyle, decide to spend a semester or even a full academic year in Cannes working on their French. While it could hardly be called immersive (in this heavily tourist-laden metropolis, it is just as easy to get around in English as it is in French, so students are not forced to practice on a daily basis), it is still an ideal destination for those who seek relaxation and idle sociability as a counterweight to their language studies.