CIDEF (Centre international d'études françaises), which is part of the Université Catholique de l'Ouest, has been created in 1947. Since its creation, it has set up strong partnerships with 180 foreign universities and offers students and teachers from around the world various programs in French language and culture. CIDEF is also an exam centre for certifications (TCF) and university diplomas. It is open all year round and welcomes more than 1200 students every year who come to France to learn French language and culture. Students are hosted in families. CIDEF also offers 100% online training for FFL (french as a foreign language) teachers.