ISLAMABAD, March 20: ‘French Online’, a distance programme for learning French via Internet, was launched here on Thursday in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise (French Cultural Centre), the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and the COMSATS.

Yannick Gerard, the ambassador of France to Islamabad, was the chief guest at the launching ceremony of held at the offices of COMSATS in G-5 Thursday morning. The launching of ‘French Online’ also marked the International Francophony Day celebrations.

Dr syed Altaf Hussain, Vice-Chancellor AIOU, and Dr Hameed A. Khan, Executive Director of the COMSATS, were also present at the ceremony.

“We are here today to assert the defence and the promotion of French. We also defend all other languages in order to maintain a global village in all its diversity of languages and cultures.

The fear of heading towards a uniform world, a fear that becomes stronger in today’s world of international tension, reinforces this need for diversity,” Yannick Gerard said.

The French envoy said French as a modern and useful language could play a vital role in the transfer of knowledge and technology. “I an conscious about the feeling of frustration among our Pakistani friends over closing down of our four French alliances. The teaching of French through new technologies will allow to keep this link,” he said.

He congratulated the COMSATS, the technical partner that put on line the product and where the server is located and also greeted the vice-chancellor of the AIOU for his devotion, hard work and professional attitude. “In a few weeks ‘French Online’ will be launched at the AIOU for distance learning,” the French envoy remarked. Yannick Gerard also appreciated the efforts of Jean-Michael Kauffmann, the director of the Alliance and Dr Ouafae Sananes, who was nominated coordinator and director of the project in October 2002.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Altaf Hussain, the Vice- Chancellor of AIOU, said the university had taken the initiative of introducing online education.

“French Online course is a non-IT, language based online course, which is being launched today with the support of French Republic and Alliance Francaise in Pakistan with the technical assistance of COMSATS,” he said.