French President Emmanuel Macron praised on Saturday Egypt's role in building Francophone Senghor University in Borg El-Arab in Alexandria.

His remarks came in a speech during the inauguration ceremony of the new campus of Senghor University in Borg El Arab city in Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.

 “I would like to salute Egypt’s commitment, which allowed this building to become a reality after an investment of more than 60 million euros,”

The French leader said Arabic is the second most spoken language in France, describing it as a “de facto reality” that should be acknowledged.

He noted that there are around 60 French schools in Egypt, stressing his desire for French to remain the closest language to Egyptians.

He added that Senghor University represents a shared historical link between France and Africa, describing the new campus as a model of ongoing cooperation between Egypt and France.

The French president also said that Francophonie belongs to all those who choose to embrace the French language, adding that it was born from the will of African leaders after independence who considered French not as the language of colonialism, but as a “war trophy” to be invested in.

“Francophonie belongs to all those who chose to adopt the French language — writers, artists, creators,” Macron said, adding that French today carries “a project of liberation and a will to continue progressing.”

He stressed that Francophonie can only thrive alongside multilingualism, noting that French exists alongside native languages across the world.

Macron added that the demographic center of the French language today lies around the Congo Basin rather than the Seine River in France because the largest number of French speakers now live in Africa.

The French president noted the university’s growing student numbers and reaffirmed the target of surpassing 500 enrolled students, describing its graduates as future cadres for international organisations, the African Union, and regional African institutions.

Inaugurated in 1990, Senghor University is a French-language international university that offers training in sustainable development in a global context.

In addition to the Alexandria campus, Senghor University has 10 other campuses in Africa and Europe, offering specialised courses to meet the needs of strengthening the development skills of specialists for Africa's development.

Named after former Senegalese president ​​Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senghor University hosts around 200 students who are chosen after a selective competition involving more than 3,000 candidates from 25 different countries.

n his speech, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi described Egypt as “a cradle of human civilization and a beacon of knowledge,” stressing that the inauguration comes at a time of mounting developmental challenges requiring stronger international partnerships, especially among Global South countries.

He praised the International Organisation of La Francophonie for promoting dialogue, cultural diversity, peace, democracy, and education as pillars of sustainable development.

The Egyptian president highlighted Cairo’s longstanding commitment to the Francophone organization since joining its precursor agency in 1983, saying Egypt serves as a strategic meeting point linking Africa, the Arab world, the Mediterranean, and Francophone countries.

El-Sisi also commended France’s support for the Francophone world and specifically for Senghor University, thanking Macron for backing African capacity-building efforts through funding, scholarships, and expertise-sharing.

The president noted that over the past three decades Senghor University has established itself as a leading academic institution for training young African professionals capable of addressing developmental challenges across the continent.

He added that the university’s role extends beyond academic education to include institutional capacity-building and strengthening policymaking in fields such as governance, resource management, sustainable development, water and food security, and climate adaptation.

El-Sisi reaffirmed that strengthening Egypt’s relations with African countries remains a cornerstone of Egyptian foreign policy, emphasizing that Egypt has consistently supported development efforts across Africa through expertise-sharing, training, and developmental projects.

He said Egypt’s 2019 decision to establish the university’s new headquarters in Borg El-Arab reflected the state’s belief that investment in people is the key to sustainable development.

According to El-Sisi, Egypt allocated land for the project and provided substantial financial support to complete the campus within a record timeframe, helping expand the university’s capacity and provide an integrated educational environment.

The Egyptian president also pointed to the growing number of applicants to the university as evidence of its rising reputation and affirmed Egypt’s commitment to continuing support through annual scholarships for African students.

El-Sisi described Senghor University as a successful model of international cooperation based on partnership and political will, saying Africa’s future depends on empowering youth, building institutional capacities, and transforming challenges into opportunities for prosperity and development.

Earlier, Presidents El-Sisi and Macron joined African and Francophone officials on Saturday to inaugurate Senghor University.

The inauguration was attended by Burundian Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo, Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, and African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Mohamed Belhocine.

According to the Egyptian Presidency, El-Sisi and the participating officials took a commemorative photo with Senghor University students before the start of the inauguration ceremony.

The event featured presentations by university president Hany Helal and executive director Thierry Verdier on the institution’s development, followed by a documentary on the university’s history.

Representatives of alumni and students also addressed attendees, while Mushikiwabo delivered a speech highlighting the university’s role within the Francophone world.