Dr. Arunkumar Santhalingam Awarded Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques.

The Director of the French Institute in India and Counsellor for Education, Science & Culture of the French Embassy in India, Mr Grégor Trumel, today conferred the distinction of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms) on Dr. Arunkumar Santhalingam, during a special ceremony at the Residence of the Consulate General of France in Pondicherry – Chennai. 

This award comes in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the field of French as a foreign language, teachers’ training, and innovative approaches to building a pan-India network of French language professionals.

The event, held in collaboration with the French Institute in India (IFI), was graced by leading personalities from the world of secondary and higher education which Dr. Arunkumar Santhalingam has been brilliantly navigating for several years. 

The Collaboration
 
Dr Arunkumar Santhalingam embodies an inspiring story of a timid boy who grew into a master trainer, entrepreneur, and innovator, transforming challenges into stepping stones along the way. In 2017, Arunkumar founded AIFPRO (Association of Indian French Professionals & Researchers). His goal was to strengthen the community of French teachers, translators, interpreters, and all French professionals in India. Through AIFPRO, they organised impactful training sessions, made Francophonie Day a nationwide celebration, and established a robust network of FLE educators to support this growing initiative and was an invaluable help during the COVID-19 pandemic to swiftly adapt to an online format, organizing over 30 webinars to keep French teachers engaged and reassured during uncertain times.

By 2023, AIFPRO had gone global, with its first major opportunity arising in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) since 2010. Partnering with Ambassador School Sharjah, Arunkumar made history by training nearly 100 French teachers in Sharjah, setting a record for the largest French teacher training workshop attendance in the UAE. He also collaborates regularly with the Institut Français aux Émirats Arabes Unis to conduct workshops at Alliance Française branches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

About the Order of Academic Palms:

The Ordre des Palmes académiques is a national order bestowed by the French Republic on distinguished academics and teachers and for valuable service to universities, education and science. Originally established in 1808 by Emperor Napoleon as a decoration to honour eminent members of the University of Paris, it is one of the oldest civil honours bestowed by the French Republic.