In the spring of 1985, with the objective of offering advanced-level students of French language and culture the opportunity to take challenging courses and to immerse themselves in French society, Duke University sent eleven undergraduate students to Paris. They took part in a program that was governed by an interuniversity agreement signed with Université Paris-7, a pluridisciplinary institution, now known as Université Paris Cité.
In 1986, Duke University and Cornell University entered into a covenant under which they formed a consortium officially registered in France under the name EDUCO, Educational Consortium, a non-profit organization. In 1998, Emory University joined the EDUCO consortium and Tulane University in 2010. Today, all students are still formally matriculated at Université Paris Cité but have other universities to choose from as well. The number of student participants is capped at sixty.
This successful collaboration has several advantages for students: a centrally-located program center where they come for research or tutorials, for friendly conversation and to seek the advice of a dedicated staff who has first rate knowledge of the French university system and way of life.