Welcoming foreign students has always been part of the UTC’s DNA and the links with Asia have always been strong, since the first twelve Chinese students were welcomed here in February 1979, through the creation of UTSEUS in 2006. Today, about 20% of UTC’s matriculated students are foreigners, of which a significant part comes from the Asian continent. Students with impressive academic backgrounds, such as Dhivenya Rajarathinam, a Malaysian student who is currently finishing her studies, majoring in Mechanical engineering!
Behind every application to UTC, we find an excellent academic record. Dhivenya is no exception to the rule, as her brilliant record offered her the opportunity, after her Malaysian baccalaureate, to study engineering abroad. “I had the choice between Germany, France, Japan and Korea,» she explains. “As I wanted to go to Europe and I preferred the French language and culture, I didn’t hesitate long between these destinations!»
So Dhivenya flew to France in 2017, more precisely to the city of Tours. There, she took intensive French courses for a year (to reach the B2 EU language skill level), as well as a refresher course, to acquire the same basics as the French scientific baccalaureates. In 2018, a change of scenery, she moved to Le Havre to obtain a DUT (University Technology Diploma), at the IUT of Le Havre. “It went very well for me, the teachers were very attentive, and as I worked hard I finished second in my class!”
Excellent results which pushed the director of her IUT to talk about UTC, at the beginning of his second year. «The director of my IUT spoke to me about the UTC and encouraged me to apply after my first semester results. It was not an option I had considered before. So I looked at the programmes offered by UTC, and the student life, and I was convinced!
Other Malaysian students who also joined UTC were also very encouraging”. More motivated than ever, Dhivenya is working hard: «I did my best to get a good ranking in the third semester. To do this, I took up a sports activity and started to learn a third foreign language, as this added bonus points to my overall average.” With her excellent results and impeccable French, admission to UTC is only a formality. And the third move in 2020 for Dhivenya, who this time settles in Compiègne. She enters UTC in Mechanical engineering, with already in mind the idea to follow the elective specialty course on Industrial Design Engineering. But there is no question of her giving up her hectic lifestyle: she regularly posts videos about her student life and advice for other students on her YouTube channel, and also makes videos for the UTC. In 2022, she did her first internship, for the brand La Roche-Posay, at L’Oréal:
«I had the opportunity to do my internship in the industrial development team,» she adds. “This rewarding internship gave me my first glimpse into the field of product development, in which I flourished.»
Dhivenya is now finishing her studies at UTC, and is looking for a final year internship in the field of product development. No doubt she will find it quickly !
LINKS BETWEEN UTC AND MALAYSIA
Gaëlle Dacqmine, deputy director of the International Relations Department, UTC
The Malaysian students we welcome at UTC come within the framework of specific programmes, managed by a French organisation in collaboration with the Malaysian Government. This is the case of Dhivenya, a student of the SFERE (Société Française d’Exportation des Ressources Educatives) Malaysia programme. Since 2016, we have been receiving a few Malaysian students (usually 2 — 3) from SFERE every year. These students choose a major at UTC after two years of studies in France (generally for a DUT or at a IUT). They have a very good general level and an excellent level of French and integrate the institution following the same admission procedure as all UTC student-candidates. They then follow their engineering curriculum at UTC until graduation. The second specific programme, in Malaysia, is managed by Campus France. It works in the same way and has also existed since 2016.
«WELCOME TO FRANCE», THE LABEL WHICH REWARDS THE WELCOME OF THE UTC
UTC has been awarded the label «Bienvenue en France» 2 star level for the quality of its welcome of international students, for the period 2020–2024. This label distinguishes French Higher Education institutions that have developed and implemented reception facilities for these non-French students. The indicators particularly recognised for UTC are those of the quality and accessibility of information, the quality and accessibility of reception facilities, the quality and accessibility of the training package offers and teaching support, accommodation, and the quality of life on campus, and the quality of postgraduation follow-up for international students.
