Shandong University has established close partnerships with universities in France in talent training, cultural exchange and archaeological work in recent years.

Shandong University first partnered with Université Paris Diderot in 1995, when the two  parts signed an international cooperation.

This milestone marked the start of faculty and student exchanges as well as joint research endeavors in disciplines such as life sciences, mathematics and sinology.

Since then, Shandong University has carried out cooperation with nearly 20 universities and institutions in France.

In addition, the university has engaged in highly productive cooperation with French universities in exploring the origins of humanity.

In 2019, Shandong University, in collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, launched scientific excavations and research at the Tourtoirac Paleolithic rock shelter site in the Vézère River valley of the Dordogne department in southwestern France.

This endeavor has made significant contributions to the exploration of early human origins and the origins of modern humans.

In 2023, the archaeological teams of the two universities discovered over 4,000 artefacts at the Tourtoirac site, including ancient human fossils, stone tools, animal fossils, and artworks.

Shandong University has made contributions to cataloguing and sorting ancient Chinese books in France. In December 2023, it reached a cooperation agreement with the National Library of France on the replication and return of ancient Chinese texts.

The university also has been making efforts to organize cultural activities to promote cultural exchange with France. The Alliance Franciosi of Shandong was established in 2006, with the help of Shandong University and the Alliance Française in Paris. It has played a significant role in enhancing French language education in Shandong by providing French language training and hosting cultural exchange activities. 

Members of archaeological teams from Shandong University and the University of Bordeaux pose for a group photo on June, 2023. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]