Brest, in the extreme west of France, is a city well known for its thriving student life. Indeed, the city offers a very high quality of life, thanks to its many cultural opportunities and sporting activities, which are particularly oriented towards the ocean. Brest is a major academic centre, with a university and 9 grandes écoles hosting 29,000 students. Brest is a welcoming and cosmopolitan city with 3,000 international students every year.

In order to facilitate the integration of international students, Brest has launched a programme to help this particular group of students to take a step further towards professionalisation. The city offers international students information workshops on the French corporate culture and meetings with international students and representatives of local companies and associations. These activities help international students to integrate more effectively into the French job market, whether through internships, work-study programmes, student jobs or as they prepare to graduate.

On a more festive note, Brest organises, every year, a World Student Night, dedicated to international students. The evening is preceded by a memorable cruise on the harbour, followed by a Breton evening of food, dance and local music. This convivial event is much appreciated by the international students, who are officially and warmly welcomed into the area.