On the morning of April 11, China-France Education and Culture Festival & College-Corporate Cooperation Forum opened at Renmin University of China (Suzhou). The three-day activities centered on education and business communities of both countries and included discussion panels, school open day, cultural carnival, photo exhibition, film festival, campus concert, Suzhou Pingtan performance, and speech contest in French. The program aimed to promote cultural exchanges and education cooperation between two countries as well as to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

Among the attendees at the opening ceremony, there were French Consul General Emmanuel Lenain in Shanghai, Secretary Wang Xiang of CPC Suzhou Industrial Park Working Committee, Vice President Yi Zhihong of Renmin University of China, President Philip McLaughlin of Kedge Business School, and Vice President Yann Bisiou of Paul Valery University.

RUC Jiangnan Corporate Club was founded after College-Corporate Cooperation Forum as a non-profit organization providing a platform for schools, enterprises, scholars, professionals, and college students to learn and to communicate. It planned to recruit full-time tutors and part-time teachers from its members.

Sino-French Institute at Renmin University of China is established, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, by the RUC, Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV), Paul Valery University (Montpellier III), and Kedge Business School. RUC Professor Yang Weiguo and Vice President Jean-Francois Vergnaud of Paul Valery University are the first deans of the institute.