Rector of Hail University Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Saif made the announcement on Saturday during a workshop jointly organized by the two universities in Hail.

He said the visit of a delegation from Sorbonne was part of the cooperation agreement signed between the two universities during Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari’s recent visit to France.

Al-Saif did not specify a date for the conference but said it aimed to take advantage of French expertise in promoting tourism and taking care of tourist locations.

Under the agreement 40 medical students from Hail University will travel to France during the summer for a four-week intensive course at Rouen University.

He explained that the 20 women would initially travel to France with their guardians. Once they come back, the remaining batch of male students would go.

The rector said 20 students from Hail University’s department of tourism and antiquities would travel to France next year for training at Sorbonne University.

"Our students should bear in mind that they are not traveling to France for entertainment or tourism. They will be there for intensive training," he said.

Al-Saif said the agreement with the two French universities also calls for exchange visits among teachers and officials. He said Hail University also has similar agreements with other universities in Europe and China.

Earlier this year, Hail University signed  an agreement that allowed students to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.