Interview

• Access to interviews list

Josiane Fichter
Project Manager, Franco-German Forum

Q: How the idea of creating a Franco-German forum occur?

R: The Franco-German Forum was born out of the political will of the German and the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs. It was created in 1997 during the Summit in Weimar, along with the creation of the Franco-German University whose product is the Forum (the Weimar agreement was ratified in 1999). The Franco-German Forum is a student recruitment gathering that brings together in one place companies, universities and institutions from France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland as well as Austria.

Q: What will be the program this year?

R: A large set of follow-up activities are suggested such as workshops, conferences and presentations which will complete the event. Some of the topics which will be brought up are: mobility, retirement in France and in Germany, etc…
The Bernard Gregory Association will be in charge of specific practical workshops on the topic “how to a good application” addressing to PhD’s and students preparing a PhD.
The full list of job and traineeship providers as well as their presentation sheet and the follow-up program are available on the website of the Franco-German Forum: www.DFF-FFA.org

Q: What advice would you give to young graduates participating in the Forum and searching a traineeship or an employment?

R: The most important advice that I would give to young graduates looking for a traineeship or an employment is to:

• select on the Forum’s website the companies which meet best their interests and their qualifications
• to be well informed about the company they have chosen ( in other words not coming only to hand out their CV’s)
• to be well prepared and ready “to sell themselves” to the employers (to show motivation for working abroad)

Q: Could you give us a concrete example of success of the Forum?

R: The Franco-German Forum represents at the same time an information gathering on university studies and carrier building, an exchange of job offers and recruitments and a place to think about bilateral and multilateral university cooperation in Europe. It is the only event on bilateral level bringing together in one place companies, universities and institutions. The best concrete example of our success is that we exist for ten years with 207 job and traineeship providers and a record number of participants

Q: Do you believe that the Franco-German Forum presents numerous opportunities for carrier building to the young people?

R: In my opinion, France and Germany are a model for economic cooperation. The companies taking part in the Franco-German Forum like SIEMENS, BOSCH, EADS and many others prove it. The young people who visit the Franco-German Forum are from different cultural backgrounds and open to international career opportunities.

Some little questions

What is your favorite city?

Vienna

What is your favorite language? (besides your mother tongue)?

Italian

In which country would you like to live?

Austria or Italy

What is your favorite European meal?

Spaghetti Bolognese

Who is your favorite European personality?

Robert Schuman

Which historic character impressed you the most?

Napoleon Bonaparte

Your bedside table book(s)?

Middle Ages novels: at the moment : ”Le chant des Sorcières” (Mireille Calmel), “Un monde sans fin” (Ken Follett), « Die Entscheidung der Hebamme (Sabine Ebert)

Your favorite writer?

Zola, A.Dumas, Mireille Calmel

Your favorite composer?

Mozart

Your favorite film?

Sissy

Your favorite hobby?

Reading

Your favorite sport?

Swimming

Your favorite place in Strasbourg?

The Strasbourg Cathedral

: