About us

Founded in 1984 from a non-profit association, Sfere is a recognized player in the management of international scholarship programs and a consultancy dedicated to educational development in developing countries.

40 years of existence
More than 680 projects
104 countries of operation

Our history

Over the past 40 years, SFERE has become a benchmark in international education and vocational training.

Since 1984: An operator for academic cooperation

Since 2000: Then a consulting firm in Education

During the first part of its life, Sfere developed scholarship programs with partners in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, financed mainly by foreign institutions, in collaboration with the French Ministries in charge of international educational cooperation.

These programs have led to the training in France of thousands of top-level specialists: engineers, managers, researchers, university lecturers… making a significant contribution to France’s academic reputation.

In the early 2000s, without abandoning its traditional activity of managing scholarship programs, SFERE also became a consultancy specializing in education, vocational training and human development.

This strategic shift towards international development projects involving expertise and technical assistance has been accompanied by a geographical opening towards Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Since 1984: An operator for academic cooperation

During the first part of its life, Sfere developed scholarship programs with partners in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, financed mainly by foreign institutions, in collaboration with the French Ministries in charge of international educational cooperation.

These programs have led to the training in France of thousands of top-level specialists: engineers, managers, researchers, university lecturers… making a significant contribution to France’s academic reputation.

Since 2000: Then a consulting firm in Education

In the early 2000s, without abandoning its traditional activity of managing scholarship programs, SFERE also became a consultancy specializing in education, vocational training and human development.

This strategic shift towards international development projects involving expertise and technical assistance has been accompanied by a geographical opening towards Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Our team

Our team is structured around 25 highly qualified permanent employees with a strong international outlook. Our strength lies in our diversity and commitment.

 

Our success is based on a community of experienced consultants, who carry out our technical assistance projects with dedication and professionalism, and on the French higher education networks to whom we entrust our students and with whom we collaborate in confidence.

Our organization

Our organization is designed along functional lines, to optimize the impact and operational efficiency of our activities:

An International Development Department, the key player in our prospection and development strategy including a Tender Department, for international monitoring and engineering responses to calls for tender.

A Project Engineering Department, to manage technical assistance projects, coordinate teams of experts and monitor the quality of our services.

A Department of Academic Programs, to manage scholarship programs and provide support for scholarship-holders in conjunction with French higher education networks.

An Administration, HR and Finance Department to manage the company and plan and deploy the resources needed to run teams and projects.

Our culture

Independence and integrity

Sfere stands out for its atypical nature and status: it has no shareholder to remunerate, as its capital is held by a non-profit association (Procoope). Nor is it subsidized by public authorities.

The absence of shareholder pressure combined with the obligation to be self-financed are at the heart of our identity and values.

Committed to promoting French Higher Education

We have always been aware that our operations have a significant impact on France’s image and influence in our field of action.  Our scholarship programs help make France a credible destination in a globalized and competitive academic sector, and our technical assistance projects contribute to the influence of French know-how in the field of education.

Our deep awareness of this impact is a cornerstone of our culture and values.

Respect for our partners and a results-oriented culture

Adaptability and respect for cultural differences, strict demand for performance and competence (sectoral, linguistic, behavioral…), results-oriented approach, respect for our commitments, benevolence and responsiveness… these are the values we demand from the people we mobilize for our operations.

They underpin the success of our actions, determine the quality of our work and the relevance of our services, and earn us the trust of our partners and customers.


Sfere

8 avenue des Minimes
F-94306 VINCENNES CEDEX
FRANCE

Phone : (33) 1 41 74 70 00

Access

Métro ligne 1
Station Château de Vincennes ou Bérault

RER A – Station Vincennes