Eva Chargy, Promotion 2015

I have lived my entire life in Asia and entered the French educational system in Korea where I attended Grande-Section and CP at The Lycée Francais de Seoul. Then in 2004, my family relocated to Malaysia, where I attended LFKL from CE1, right through to Terminale. I can honestly say that I had no problem intergrating, I loved living in Malaysia and it still feels like home.

After graduating high school in 2015 with my baccalaureat in ES, I decided to pursue a Bachelor in International Business and Languages in Holland. At the end of my 3 year stay in The Netherlands, I had completed 2 internships, in France and Holland, and a 6 months university exchange in Alicante Spain, through Erasmus.

Following my Bachelor, I chose to continue my studies and I am currently studying an MSc in International Luxury and Brand Management at Rennes School of Business in France. Hopefully I’ll graduate by the end of 2019!

My years spent at LFKL have allowed me to integrate easily to new countries, surroundings and cultures; a normality for my friends and I in Asia, that has become a quality in Europe, an added value to being schooled abroad.

Despite having adapted to Europe easily and enjoying my time here, I hope to have the opportunity to live abroad in the future, perhaps even Malaysia! Kuala Lumpur still feels like home and I return every year when visiting my parents, who still live in South-East-Asia.

My years at LFKL leave me with great memories and lifelong friends, whom I still meet up with regularly in Paris! My teachers played an important role in my positive experience at school! Some have sadly left now but most are still there.

My advice to current students: enjoy every moment, take advantage of the small classes and invested teachers and enjoy yourself!

Denis Manigart, Class of 1996

I came to LFKL in 1992 where I did my 4ème and 3ème. Back then, the school was a large house nestled in the Bukit Tunku jungle. It was a relatively small school and classes stopped at 3ème. I thus had to get into an English school to finish my secondary education. After doing all my previous school years in the French system, moving to an English school was no trouble at all.

Once I got my International Baccalauréat, I went back to Belgium to study engineering at HELMO Gramme. During my last year I participated in an Erasmus exchange with the University of Palermo, in Sicily.

In 2001, with my studies completed, I wanted to go back to live and work in Asia. Malaysia seemed like a good place to start. I went straight into the technical sales sector as my profile as an engineer helped me stand out. 15 years later, I am still in Kuala Lumpur! I am Sales Manager for the Asian area in an international group which supplies many businesses, including in the oil sector. And did I tell you? I have 3 children schooled at LFKL…

Alexia Hennaut, Class of 2009

I was born in Belgium but lived in France for 7 years and quickly settled into to a French school and the French school system.
I was fortunate afterwards to live in Germany for two years, in Frankfurt, then 5 years in Malaysia.

After sitting for my Literary Baccalauréat at the LFKL, I spent my first year of studies at Monash University, an Australian university in Kuala Lumpur.

The following year I returned to France to go to a Communication school (ISCPA) in Paris. I discovered the world of the media (public relations, the digital field, advertising, production and events management) theoretical marketing classes, languages, PAO (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), branding, community management and a lot of pitching for business (practical lessons in groups).

We had to present in groups full communication plans to exterior agencies to help them improve their internal and external communication.

Having fallen in love with Malaysia, I decided to come back every year to do training courses (for 6 months) during my ISCPA Masters. I did all these courses in different international companies and local agencies in Kuala Lumpur.
Thanks to these multiple experiences in different areas of marketing and communication, I discovered what I liked best: promoting a business, a service or a product using original, creative and varied tools which are today more accessible than ever before via the web, social networks and digital tools!

Finally, after attending the Lycée Français of Kuala Lumpur as a student for several years, I am now Head of Marketing at the LFKL!

Quentin Meunier, Class of 2006

Hello. I have been fortunate to live in several countries, in Germany for 6 years and in Kuala Lumpur for 4 years. A dramatic change in culture and country, people are welcoming and the culture is incredible. Today I have a diploma from ISEG Paris with a Masters (Bac +5), with courses in management, languages, accountancy and marketing. My first cycle focused on strategic marketing. I went to Ireland for my Bachelor’s degree in Dublin Business School (DBS) and for an MBA in international commerce. I decided to focus on IT as I like the technical side and in addition, Ireland is the European Silicon Valley. I now work for a software editor and am responsible for business development in the two countries.

If I had to give any advice, I’d say, make the most of this rich double culture, mix and meet people. I trace my greatest friendships back to my time in Malaysia.

Homère Faivre, Class of 2009

Born in France, but having grown up in Malaysia, I did all my schooling at the Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur, where I passed my Science Bac in 2009.

I then decided to go to a post-Bac Engineering Grande Ecole, INSA in Lyon, being unsure of what to specialize in, or the job I wanted to do. This course allowed me to establish a theoretical basis in several engineering sciences (IT. Physical, Chemical, Maths) before specializing in Telecommunications, an area which attracted me by its omnipresence in our everyday life!

I was fortunate that this training led to exchanges and training courses abroad (Japan and China), and after receiving my Engineering diploma in 2014, I went on a VIE mission (International Business internship) for two years in Tokyo, where I worked as a technical-commercial engineer, with the main objective of setting up a representative office of a PME Marseillaise specialising in multimedia software development.

Through my course, my experience was very diverse. It opened my mind and taught me to live in different environments. After two years working and despite a job offer in CDI, I decided to expand my horizons more by travelling across Asia by bike, following which I will surely need to find a job!

Bob Awalludin, Class of 2010

After completing my Terminale ES (Economics and Social Sciences) at the LFKL this is the path I took:

HND in International Commerce with work placement:
Employed as a Technicon-Commercial / Export Assistant at Novintiss SAS, La Rochelle, France. Service Export. Many professional placements mainly in Europe and the Middle East.
Sector: trader in geotextile / green walls.

Master in International Commerce, Commerce School ECE INSEEC, Bordeaux:
4 months in San Francisco, International Entrepreneurship and Digital Programme 10 months’ business training course : Group Uni Packaging, Vienna, Austria employed as Sales Administrator / Raw Material Purchaser.
Many placements in Europe and Eastern Europe.
Sector: Packaging industry and flexible food packaging.

Currently:
International Work Experience intern (the next two years) at Uni Packaging, Austria.

Duties:
Sales Administration
Purchasing / Raw material supply
Production management
Logistics / Transport
Quality
Management control

The years I spent in KL will always be among the best years of my life!
I am looking forward to coming back soon.

Suzy Wong, Class of 2015

Après un BAC S au LFKL (promo 2014/2015), I joined theENSAAMA (National Academy for the Applied and Decorative Arts) in Paris 15e in MANAA (Bridging Module in Applied Arts) where I discovered many artistic fields in Applied Art and in Fine Art (lessons on volume, colours, drawing, nude sketching, modelling…etc.).

Following this preparatory year, I joined the Graphic Design stream in printed media again at the ENSAAMA. Having finished this 1st year of the HND at the beginning of May, I am currently on a business training course with an independent designer. This course allowed me to join the 2nd year of the HND, presenting my training course report to a panel at the start of 2017.

Concerning entry requirements for this school and the pace of work: acceptance into MANAA in the ENSAAMA is via APB, based on school records only (other Applied Arts schools such as Duperré or Estienne accept candidates based on their school records, then interview and presentation of a graphic portfolio). Out of 1000 applications, they only accept 120 students (4 classes of 30).

To be admitted to the HND, this is by APB based on school records. If accepted, the student is invited to an interview with a panel and presents their art portfolio. For the Graphic Design section, 200 students are chosen for interview and only fifty are accepted for 1st year (41 in print media and 13 in digital media).

Contrary to what most students think, studies in the Applied Arts are not all rest… the pace is very fast and the teachers very demanding on the quality and quantity of work to be done throughout and at the end of the project. This teaches us to be independent, to accept criticism and organize ourselves better. It is not rare to have sleepless night to finish a project for the next day.
Fortunately, the school and students are very nice and the BDE organizes regularly students’ evenings (competitions, Christmas market with the students’ creations, lectures, WEI).

In addition, there are many different departments at the ENSAAMA, which enables you to discover and work in other artistic areas.

You will find some of my projects at this link:link

Roukhaya Hassambay, Class of 2015

Hello!

I am a student at the Europe-Asia campus of Sciences Po Paris at Le Havre and have just ended my second year at University College. I was very emotional leaving Le Havre, where I spent two superb years, intense and enriching, on the personal as much as on the academic front. I learnt about the geopolitical complexity of our world and the issues arising from it. With subjects such as law, history, sociology or political science, it was the economic stream that I chose to concentrate on in second year. The active campus life, characterized by cultural diversity, enabled me to sample Bollywood dance, Korean, Kung Fu and even participate in a musical comedy!

To finish my course at University College of Sciences Po, I am now preparing to spend a third year on exchange in Seoul for new adventures.

If, like me, you have an interest in the Social Sciences and would like time to reflect on your career after Terminale, Sciences Po is for you! Go for it!

Pia Le Cauchois, class of 20013

For seven years, from 2006 to 2013, LFKL was my second home. At the time, the school had just moved to its new, modern location. When I arrived in CE1, my class was composed of just about fifteen students.

I think that my time there was meaningful and what I learned, still applies to my everyday life. I am currently studying engineering at INSA in Lyon and I think about my LFKL teachers and school staff every day. I remember mostly my English, and math teachers, what they taught me, I use everyday. Their individual support allowed me to be more open minded.

What i remember mostly from my time there was the great sense of community that we felt, especially thanks to the extra-curricular activities. We could try any sport or any type of art and games we wanted, thanks to the numerous facilities of LFKL.

My advice would be to any student, to enjoy their time and thank their teachers more often because some of them will stay in your memories, all your life, even if they may not know it.

Orlane Deniel, Class of 2012

I had the opportunity to study at LFKL from 2nde to Terminale. I remember our small L stream classes but more so the bonds that united us. After getting my Baccalauréat in L stream in 2012, I got straight into the Ecole supérieure de journalisme in Paris (ESJ), one of the very few journalism institutions to accept candidates right after their Baccalauréat.

Their Bachelor comprises of 2 years of education to the main media: television, radio and written press. The teaching there is very practical: we study a bit of theory in class then go in the field to film, interview or “take the pulse” of a news story. And the city of Paris is definitely not lacking in topics.

For their 3rd and last year at the ESJ, the student chooses their specialisation. I chose the written press and therefore went on one internship and another and another at newspapers, magazines and online press. I wrote articles on music, health, social economics, local issues, etc. Doing those internships and being in the field every day gives us the chance to immediately apply the methods studied in class such as how to do a news flash, a report or a portrait.

Studying in a French school abroad does weigh in one’s resume. The recruitment consultants I faced always saw it as a guarantee of open-mindedness, ease to adapt and sound command of the English language.

I have been living in Paris for 5 years and I believe it to be an ideal extension to Malaysia, with its multicultural population and continuous encounters. Sometimes you have to chase your dream job, but upper secondary school also teaches you about perseverance. Now that my training as a journalist is over, I do intend to go back abroad as soon as possible and settle there!

Jonathan Hennaut, Class of 2012

I had the chance to spend 4 years of my life in Kuala Lumpur, during which I was schooled at Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur from 4ème to Première. My Première S completed, I passed a Baccalauréat in S stream OIB specialised in Mathematics (International Option Baccalauréat) in the suburbs of Paris.

I then got into the IÉSEG, the 6th best business school in France offering the 17th best Master’s in Management worldwide (according to the Financial Times). This business school enabled me to acquire theoretical foundations in many areas: mathematics, economics, marketing, accounting, law, finance, statistics, etc. It also gave me the opportunity to do an exchange year abroad in Seoul, South Korea, an extraordinary experience which opened my mind to the Korean and Asian cultures as a follow-up to my stay in Malaysia.

I have now completed my first year of Master’s in Economics and International Business, and am starting a placement as Business Analyst in the number 1 company in real estate assessment, MeilleursAgents.com.

Victoire De Linarès, Class of 2012

Après avoir passé mon bac littéraire, j’ai commencé des études de langues, j’ai donc intégré la licence LLCE Espagnol à l’université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines. Pendant trois ans, j’ai étudié l’histoire, la littérature, la conjugaison espagnole et autres matières en rapport avec cette langue ! J’avais aussi d’autres cours en option comme par exemple l’anglais, l’histoire moderne et la littérature française.
After my Baccalauréat in L stream, I started studying languages and thus registered to a Bachelor in Spanish Philology at the University of Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines. For three years I studied Spanish history, literature and conjugation as well as other subjects related to this language! I also had optional classes such as English, modern history and French literature.

Following my Bachelor, I wanted to orientate my studies towards tourism. I thus went to live in Aix-en-Provence where I started my last year of Bachelor specialised in Travel, then an MBA in Business Travel at the ESCAET. This school taught me about tourism such as the various actors, its evolution but also about such fields as digital marketing, for example. I also had the opportunity to do two internships. The first was at the headquarters of a hotel group, Maisons & Hôtels Sibuet in Megève, as a sales assistant: my job was to prepare the winter season and promote the various hotels of the group to the partners (tour operators, travel agencies, etc.). I did my second internship in a DMC (a structure between a travel agency and an event planning agency) in Cannes, for which I was tasked with organising the stays for company events: hotels, transfers, activities and preparation of gala receptions. All the while promoting the French Riviera to foreign partners.

I am now working for a tour operator, Terres Lointaines, as Travel Counsellor in charge of several destinations: Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Costa Rica! I receive and process requests (flight search, hotel, transfers, activities, etc.) and take also care of production through updating the programmes.

Since 2011, I spent 3 years in the Paris area and 2 in the south, with some time in Megève and Cannes; I have been living in Paris since September and like it a lot. Life here is great, there is a lot to do and quite a few nice events! I do miss Kuala sometimes though, as I spent 4 awesome years in this country.
Malaysia Boleh!

Tanguy De Ferrieres, Class of 2010

Selamat pagi everybody!

I was lucky to study almost exclusively at LFKL, from the first year of preschool to Seconde: what an experience! Back then the school occupied lovely premises in the middle of the jungle in Bukit Tunku, then it moved to the LFKL you now know, which also has its charm!

My long stay in Malaysia strongly influenced my interest in the developing countries, with their continual evolution and the energy that ensues. I then came back to Paris (following my family) to finish my upper secondary school years at Passy-Buzenval school.

I decided afterwards to get into a business school and studied for a BBA at the ESSEC; this course suited me well in terms of its international orientation (I went on 2 university exchanges in Mexico and China), the classes taught (entrepreneurship, finance, economics, law, marketing, etc.) and the atmosphere of a large campus with students of almost as many different nationalities as at LFKL! Through this course I did an apprenticeship at Lafarge (construction sector) and an internship at JLL (real estate broker).

Wishing to know more about urban planning in general, I went on to do an Advanced Master’s in Urban and Real Estate Management at the ESSEC while still focusing on emerging countries: trying to understand how the cities of these areas developed and how to anticipate and prepare the future urban mutations. With this in mind, I am currently working in developing urban and real estate projects internationally, still in Paris for now but soon in South America, perhaps through a VIE (International Business Program).

Your experience in Malaysia is precious and priceless, something you will truly realise one day when you are back in your home country and through what you will want to do next! Enjoy it as best you can!!

Sophia Fisher, Class of 2009

Following LFKL, I studied in Sciences Po Lille for a joint French-English diploma (I lived in England for two years).

I then did a Master’s in Journalism at the ESJ in Lille and am now a freelance journalist (working for Le Monde, Libération and some magazines). I live in Paris, where I miss the Malaysian food and sun every single day. I must be the only person in Paris who has a foolish smile on their face when they hear Bahasa spoken in the Paris underground (yes, it happens and quite often, actually!)

I live 500m away from Coline Bijon, my best friend whom I met in LFKL, painted the town red with and have never left since!

El-Mehdi Amaziane, Class of 2009

I came to LFKL in 3ème after studying in two other French schools abroad, in Morocco and the United States as my parents are diplomats.

I passed my Brevet and my Baccalauréat in S stream at LFKL, upon which I then decided to undertake a scientific intensive foundation degree (1st and 2nd year of advanced mathematics) to prepare for the competitive entrance exams to engineering schools.

Since I was also greatly interested in finance, I applied to business schools as well and ended up getting into the EDHEC in 2011, where I specialised in Company Finance.

I did several internships in company strategy consulting and investment banking in London but, after graduation, I refused two job offers with permanent contract from banks to join the Amazon.com French subsidiary in Paris. I have been working there now as Business Analyst for nearly 2 years, and am currently considering several internal transfers in other subsidiaries of Amazon abroad (London, Sydney, Seattle, São Paulo, etc.).

Barbara Tessier, Class of 2009

After spending 17 years in Malaysia, going to France was somehow strange. I was at LFKL from kindergarten to Terminale, therefore it was not easy to arrive in this “new” country and, mostly, a region I did not know yet, Ile-de-France.

I got into the first year of health studies, known as PACES or PAES, and will always remember the first day I came into a lecture theatre of 700 seats full of students singing bawdy songs and knocking on the tables. It is hard to make friends in a year group where students are chosen based on a competitive entrance exam but in the end, you keep seeing the same faces in smaller groups.

As it turns out, I was admitted into the 2nd year of Pharmacy and went on studying at the Pharmacy Faculty of Châtenay-Malabry, which is part of the Paris Sud University (renamed in 2017). I chose to undertake the Manufacturing course so as to work in pharmaceutical research, and am currently doing a PhD for 3 years at the Institut Galien Paris-Sud, a pharmaceutical formulation laboratory within the faculty of Châtenay-Malabry.

What I love the most in this new job is being supervised by a team of experts in innovative pharmaceutical formulation as well as being surrounded by people of different nationalities. I can speak the 3 languages I have learnt since childhood with my colleagues every day, which is one of the things I wished for when I was younger and thinking about my future job.

I am very happy to be in France, it is a big change from Malaysia. I miss KL but above all, I miss my friends and the life I knew there. I was immensely lucky to grow up abroad, learn how to speak several languages and study at LFKL.
One should also really enjoy the sunshine, heat, beautiful Malaysian beaches and other South East Asian countries while living in KL 😉

Christine Liu, Class of 2008

Hey there! My name is Christine and I came to LFKL the year the school moved to Segambut! In 2005, we were only a dozen students in 2nde. In Terminale, I was the only one studying German and there was but one student in L stream.

After all this time I can still hum the tune of the bell and the muezzin’s call on Wednesdays during our written tests!

I now live in the Netherlands where I work in e-Commerce for Heineken. I left Malaysia to do a Master’s in International Business/International Marketing specialisation at the ESCE in France (the brand management classes were particularly great), then went on to do an Advanced Master’s in Strategy at the ESSEC. It was an amazing year with diverse classes given by many teachers with different profiles: engineering/law/pharma, etc.

But since my time in KL I never really managed to let go of my inclination for life abroad.

I keep coming to KL to visit my parents who still live there and just think, 10 years later I still meet some people from my class! The LFKL really is a small family… I wish you to experience there many strong emotions and use your time at the school as a springboard for your future life!

Marlina Courtiller, Class of 2007

Born in Le Havre to a Malaysian mother and a French father, I had no trouble fitting in Malaysia. My parents decided to move there for good in 2000; I thus came to Lycée français de Kuala Lumpur in 6ème and left holding a Baccalauréat in L stream.

Being immersed in a double culture, my pronounced taste for languages led me to do a Bachelor in Applied Languages English/Spanish at the University of Caen, then I followed up with a professionally-oriented Master’s in Translation at the Paris Diderot University. I came back to Malaysia to do my various internships as I missed the country.

I am now Project Manager in a translation company, in which I am mostly tasked with delegating translation projects to internal and external translators and proofreading, while being the reference contact for the clients.

To me, LFKL means 4 students in Terminale (I was the only one in L stream), monkeys outside the classroom windows, snakes, classes cancelled due to an aircon breakdown or the noise the rain made on the tin roof but also beautiful friendships that last for a very long time!

Antoine Depiesse, Class of 2014

I am currently in Terminale S “étoile” (a class aimed at students who wish to join the best Grandes Ecoles) in St Dominique private upper secondary school (one of the best upper secondary schools in the department of Aquitaine). 

When I arrived in France, I missed LFKL in general. LFKL has the tremendous advantage of having large sports facilities that other upper secondary schools in France don’t necessarily have. Besides, the atmosphere in Malaysia is more family-like, thanks to closer relations between the students and teachers and between the students themselves, due to small classes (around 16 students per class when I came to KL as opposed to 34 in France), which makes understanding the lessons easier and guarantees a good overall atmosphere. There is also much less rivalry between the students than in France (with the grades, etc.). 

When coming to France for your studies, you need to not let yourself be impressed by the best students in class, and to expect much lower results (in my case) then what you were used to in KL. On the other hand, you will be greatly advantaged in foreign languages such as Chinese or English, as we speak it daily in KL.

As I’m not out of secondary school yet, I can’t tell you about a university student’s life. But in this Terminale year, here is some advice from my teachers:

– Dedicate two hours each night to review what you did on the day

– Make lesson sheets with the key points frequently

– Don’t lose heart

– Don’t hesitate to try past Baccalauréat papers on what you’re studying now.

When you’re on holiday in France, don’t hesitate -if you can- to go to Students’ Fairs (i.e. “Salons de l’Etudiant”, where you can meet students in schools or intensive foundation degrees, etc., who will give you a lot of advice).

Live this expatriation experience to the full, especially in KL where the teachers will always be attentive to you. After that real life will start, for all of us.

Good luck to you!

Benoit du Fayet de la Tour, Class of 2014

After leaving LFKL in 2014 -such a long time ago already! we moved close to Toulon -in Forcalqueiret to be precise, a small village lost in the hills and greenery of Provence. I attended Lycée Sainte Jeanne d’Arc in Brignoles for my Première and Terminale classes.

Everything went well and I passed my Baccalauréat with verve, particularly in History.

I’ve been passionate about History from a young age, particularly topics we briefly talk about in lower secondary school such as Antiquity and, above all, the Middle Ages. Nothing but archaeology could tempt me. However, while I had to make choices for my future studies in Terminale, I was introduced to the profession of geologist. I’m as interested in stones, fossils and minerals as in knights.

You need to know that one of my other goals is to have a large family. I don’t mean three children but rather, a dozen! I know, it will depend on many things, but it is indeed one of my dreams. So, what did I do? I followed the path that could lead me to this dream of a large family. As archaeologists are much less in demand and much less paid nowadays, I chose geology.

September 2016. Here I go to a school of engineering in Beauvais, the second most renowned school in France for geology -the first being a Grande Ecole. As I didn’t want to confine myself for two years in a BCPST (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences) intensive foundation degree, I chose the integrated intensive foundation course, which is a very good middle-ground option between university and the intensive foundation degree. For sure, we work a lot more than at university but the diploma we get at the end isn’t the same, all the while living a student’s life to the full. I advise all those who really hesitate between the traditional intensive foundation degree and university to follow this path. It’s a great compromise.

I am now in second year in the La Salle school in Beauvais. The school itself is awesome. Being a campus, the student atmosphere is always very exciting. The curriculum has a great many advantages such as international courses, block release training, double degrees, the possibility to continue with a PhD, etc. It also offers curricula of engineering in Food and Safety and in Agriculture.

Arthur Le Moing, Class of 2014

I am currently attending a school of engineering in transports, the ESTACA (Ecole Supérieure des Techniques Aéronautiques et de Construction Automobile – Aeronautic Techniques and Automobile Construction School of Engineering), where I am in third year, specialised in aeronautics -I did my first two intensive foundation years at ESTACA also.

As I still have to study for two years before I receive my engineering diploma, I’m planning on doing an exchange for one semester in one of the ESTACA’s partner university to discover other specialisations as well as other teaching cultures. Besides, I will do internships in aeronautics to get as much professional experience as possible.

A piece of advice: you need to like math (that’s no secret). From the third year onwards, math is no longer a subject per se, but a tool used in all scientific subjects. And if you’re passionate about aeronautic, automobile, rail or space engineering, you have every chance of succeeding in this school.

The ESTACA is a school of engineering specialised in transport technology. There are four different specialisations: aeronautic, automobile, rail and space engineering. The school is divided into two campuses, Saint-Quentin en Yvelines (SQY) and Laval. To be admitted, you need to sit the Avenir competitive entrance exam.

We attend classes all week from 8am to 4pm at least, except on Thursdays as Thursday afternoon is dedicated to associations. We are then at liberty to participate in one of the associations, which revolve around sports, art or mechanics -there’s even one on aircraft flying.

I am pleased with my curriculum and am learning a tremendous amount of things every day to enrich my professional future.

If you like science and aircraft (and automobile), join the ESTACA!

Augustine, Class of 2014

This year, I will be spending the first six months of 2017 doing an internship in Manila.

I attend a solidarity school, IFF Europe, where I am doing the university diploma (two years after the Baccalauréat, “DU Bac+2”) Solidarity Project Organiser. This year comprises three months of class and a six-month internship or civilian service in the field of solidarity.

The school is barely known (if at all) but absolutely great as it revolves around benevolence (a far cry from medical school). It offers a Bachelor’s degree with one year -that can be done independently- based on precising one’s project, both professional and personal (the “DU Bac+1 OPEN”). This year is based on personal development, and learning to know oneself and how to recognise what we want and what we don’t want. I must do a practical application through a two-month internship (one month in a professional setting and one in a solidarity setting) and, at the end of the academic year, I must leave for Africa or Eastern Europe for three weeks to carry out a project led by the class from A to Z all year long. There are also many classes on social stakes, which help us define our professional project further.

At the end of such year, the students obtain a university diploma called DU Bac+1 issued by the Catholic University of the West and can change courses or continue forward with the Bachelor degree starting with the “DU Bac+2” Solidarity Project Organiser, i.e. the curriculum I’m following. Then, the “Bac +3” Humanitarian Project Implementation opens onto various Master’s degrees in the field of solidarity.

There you go. I don’t know whether I managed to properly explain what this school truly offers but as far as I’m concerned, I think it can be very interesting for students who wish to get into the solidarity/humanitarian field.

Faustine, Class of 2015

I am currently doing an ECS (Economics and Business with a Scientific option) intensive foundation degree in Janson de Sailly (I’m in second year). I learnt about this course in Terminale as people tell us a lot more about the scientific courses then.

It includes math (11 hours per week), geopolitics (6 hours per week), general knowledge (philosophy/arts, 6 hours per week) and languages (two languages, 3 hours weekly each). It is thus very diverse and matches versatile profiles well.

The atmosphere in Janson is great and so is the educational team; that being said, it’s hard and there’s a lot of work.

I’m in boarding school in Jean-Zay (a boarding school for public intensive foundation courses) which is truly amazing and of invaluable help: on top of a cheap and most suitable accommodation, we have classes, mentoring sessions, organised cultural trips and a great atmosphere (kind of like a large family of 500 students).

In terms of the transition from LFKL, it’s different because the community spirit is much less present, we have bigger numbers in classes, the work pace is much more intense and there’s a big difference in the level (especially in math and general knowledge) compared to the Parisian upper secondary schools but despite being rather scary at first, such discrepancy fades during the first year.

If you want to enter into an intensive foundation degree, the important thing is to pay careful attention in history class and read!! Also, to follow the news; basically, be aware of the movements of the world and understand its dynamics a bit.

In short, the intensive foundation degree is a rich, very interesting and difficult experience but it’s worth it! Keep this possibility in mind and don’t be fooled by preconceptions!

Louis Greiner, Promotion 2017

Following my Baccalauréat S-stream (scientific) in 2017, I went to the EDHEC Business School in Nice.

Why go to the EDHEC? I wanted to find again this atmosphere which I had liked so much at LFKL: an international atmosphere, yet family-like and friendly. As I had no wish to go back to France, finding such atmosphere again was the condition for my return. It was also a way for me to prepare for an international future (and for my return to Kuala Lumpur!). And from students from all corners of the world to frequent trips and exchanges, etc., I wasn’t disappointed.

Thanks to these, I am spending two months each year in Malaysia for an internship and am going on an academic exchange to Shanghai. Of course, there is a major cultural shock (especially for a French-Malaysian boy). But I managed to get back on my feet and use that experience to my advantage.

I always remember my LFKL years, however, with a bit of nostalgia and pride.

Jonathan Hennaut, Class of 2011

I had the chance to spend 4 years of my life in Kuala Lumpur, during which I was schooled at Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur from 4ème to Première. My Première S completed, I passed a Baccalauréat in S stream OIB specialised in Mathematics (International Option Baccalauréat) in the suburbs of Paris.

I then got into the IÉSEG, the 6th best business school in France offering the 17th best Master’s in Management worldwide (according to the Financial Times). This business school enabled me to acquire theoretical foundations in many areas: mathematics, economics, marketing, accounting, law, finance, statistics, etc. It also gave me the opportunity to do an exchange year abroad in Seoul, South Korea, an extraordinary experience which opened my mind to the Korean and Asian cultures as a follow-up to my stay in Malaysia.

I have now completed my first year of Master’s in Economics and International Business, and am starting a placement as Business Analyst in the number 1 company in real estate assessment, MeilleursAgents.com.

Lara Quelen, class of 2018

Once I completed high school in LFKL, my aim was to register in a programme of studies delivered in English, which implied going abroad, out of France. In 11^th grade, I heard about the new English-spoken Bachelor’s curriculum of the EDHEC Business School: “Global BBA”, giving the opportunity to study in Europe, America and Asia.

It’s just perfect for French students with an international background.

So, after I got my Baccalauréat in Sciences in 2018, I joined the “GLOBAL” programme of the EDHEC, first in Nice, then in the UCLA in Los Angeles the following year and finally in Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I found there the same type of atmosphere as in LFKL (like in a big family: everyone knows everyone else) since there’s not even a hundred of us in the GLOBAL programme (50 students in Nice and more or less 55 in Lille). A really small number compared to the attendance to the “Business Management” French-spoken curriculum of the EDHEC! I met students from all over the world, and quite a few of them had also attended French schools abroad, just like me.

To sum it up, we were all lucky to live in Malaysia and, if I should find a single word to describe my seven years in KL, it would be: EXTRAORDINARY.