Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Scholar Krautch Sochara from Cambodia Shares His Journey of Securing a Fully Funded Master's at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3, France

My name is KRAUTCH Sochara. I am from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. When I began studying law in 2009, Cambodia had only recently found its footing. The civil war had come to a definitive end in late 1998, when the last Khmer Rouge leaders surrendered, leaving the country with barely a decade of uninterrupted peace by the time I entered law school. Those were also the years Cambodia was putting its legal foundations in place, with the introduction of the Civil Code and Criminal Code giving the country, for the first time in a generation, a proper modern legal framework to build on. Watching that unfold was part of what drew me to law. But I was practical about it too: in a developed country, one more law graduate joins an already crowded profession. In Cambodia, a well-trained lawyer was rare. That gap made the choice feel less like idealism and more like common sense.

After completing my Bachelor of Laws at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, I was awarded the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship to pursue a two-year master's program at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3. The first year of Master's (Master 1) in Business Law offered one of the most intensive and comprehensive curriculum in commercial, corporate, and tax laws. In my second year (Master 2), I specialized in Insurance Law, a field few practitioners understood in any real depth, which was precisely what drew me to it.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Details

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is one of France's most selective awards for international students, designed to attract top foreign students to French higher education and train future decision-makers in priority fields of study. Candidates cannot apply directly but must be nominated by their host institution, making an award a recognition of both academic excellence and professional potential. It covers tuition fees and provides a monthly stipend of €1,181, along with international transportation, insurance, and housing support. I received this scholarship to pursue a fully funded two-year master's degree in law at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3.

Educational Background

My legal education began at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, where I completed my Bachelor of Laws with a GPA of 15/20 (French grading system). That result opened the door to France, where I was awarded the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship to pursue a two-year master's program at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3. The first year of Master’s placed a strong emphasis on tax law and accounting, subjects I engaged with seriously and did well in. Those grades, combined with a growing interest in tax law, gave me the foundation to apply for a second Master 2 specializing in Tax Law. The timing felt right, too. Cambodia had just signed its first-ever Double Tax Treaty with Singapore in 2016, a clear signal that international tax expertise would soon be in demand back home. From there, I completed a Master of Advanced Studies in International Tax Law at Leiden University in the Netherlands, alongside a Transfer Pricing Certificate from the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria. Both programs were fully funded by my former employer, whose confidence in my development made that last chapter of my education possible.

How Did You Find Information About Eiffel Excellence Scholarship and University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3?

My approach was not conventional. I did not search online databases or attend scholarship fairs. The information came from the books I was reading. Many of the Cambodian legal textbooks I studied during my bachelor's years were authored by lawyers and officials who had themselves received the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, studied at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3, and returned home to shape the country's legal and institutional landscape. Some went on to run top-tier business law firms. Others became cabinet directors, under-secretaries of state, secretaries of state, and permanent secretaries of state. The most exceptional among them reached the level of deputy prime minister. Seeing their names on the covers of the books I was studying every day made the path feel real and attainable. Lyon 3 and the Eiffel Scholarship were not abstract opportunities I stumbled upon; they were a proven route that Cambodia's finest legal minds had already walked, and I wanted to follow it.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

The language requirement for admission to Lyon 3 was DALF C1. Preparation was not something I had to seek out separately. The Royal University of Law and Economics integrates French language training throughout its bachelor's program, so by the time I sat the exam, reaching C1 level was a natural outcome of my legal education rather than a separate challenge.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship works differently from most. Students cannot apply directly but must be nominated by their host institution. At Lyon 3, the process was straightforward: perform at the highest level among your peers, and the university handles the rest. From my class, only the top 10 students would be selected to submit their applications. My preparation was simply to focus on my grades and make sure I was among them.

How is Your Experience at the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3?

The program was intensive and demanding, but that was precisely what made it worthwhile. Studying at Lyon 3 meant competing on a level playing field with French students: no concessions, no separate standards for international students. Professors were strict in every sense of the word, and even a spelling mistake could cost you dearly. It was the kind of environment where you either met the expected standard or you didn't make it through. The stakes were real: your performance during the Master 1 determined whether you secured a place in a good or great Master 2 the following year. To put that in perspective, a top Master 2 in business law majors typically offers fewer than 25 seats, and those seats are open to thousands of French students applying from across the country. Getting through that was one of the most memorable things I have done, and looking back, it set a standard that made everything that came after feel manageable by comparison.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe my academic results during my undergraduate years were the deciding factor. The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship selection process is driven primarily by the host institution and generally focuses on undergraduate academic performance. There is no shortcut around that: no personal statement or extracurricular activity that compensates for a weak academic record. I believe my academic results at the Royal University of Law and Economics, in a program taught and evaluated in French, were what made my application credible in the first place. Everything else followed from that.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

The single most important step is choosing the right university in your home country. The Eiffel Scholarship cannot be applied for directly. It is the French host institution that submits your application on your behalf, which means everything depends on whether your chosen university has a strong and active relationship with a French counterpart. Without that connection, the door simply does not open. Beyond that, take time to understand what programs the host university actually prioritizes for the scholarship. Not every field carries the same weight. Choose a specialization that is not only rigorous academically but also has real potential to make a difference when you return home. The scholarship is designed to train future decision-makers. Therefore, the stronger the case that your chosen field addresses a genuine need in your country, the more compelling your application becomes.