The AUF is present on every continent with more than 420 agents stationed in 63 branch locations operating under nine regional offices. Since 1989, this university association is a vector for French-speaking institutions. As a partner to establishments for higher education and research who have chosen French as their teaching language, the AUF proposes several cooperation programmes, designed in particular to support research and education in French.

Each year the AUF hands out more than 2 000 grants through its mobility programme. Its budget, which amounts to over EUR 40 million, comes essentially form the government of France and, to a lesser extent, from Canada-Quebec, Belgium’s French Community, Switzerland and Cameroon.

Since 2000, the Agency has experienced a period of unprecedented development, marked by budget consolidation and a 50% increase in its membership. The AUF is now the link between a network of 692 establishments covering every continent, in 81 countries, 47 of which are members of the International Francophonie Organisation. France, Vietnam, Algeria and Canada are, respectively, the countries where the Agency has the largest number of members.

The AUF’s development attests to its renown in academic communities, but also to how attractive the French language is, as a language for both learning and culture, on the international scene.

The AUF, headquartered at the campus of the University of Montreal (Canada-Quebec), aims at contributing to the construction and consolidation of a scientific area rooted in the French-language, by:

 fostering scientific cooperation

 training the development players of the future

 supporting research and excellence

 sharing expertise.