The Center for French and Francophone Studies
Bienvenue!
Founded in 1983 and first funded by a grant for Excellence in Education from the Louisiana State Legislature in 1985, the Center for French and Francophone Studies enjoys the prestigious distinction of being designated a centre pluridisciplinaire (multidisciplinary center) by the French Embassy. In recent years the Center has sponsored and organized an impressive series of lectures, conferences, and seminars, exploring several spheres of French and Francophone scholarship.
Since the summer of 2004, the Center has redefined its mission to promote interdisciplinary research on the cultural practices, languages, and literatures of Louisiana and the Francophone world. The Center will continue to promote French and Francophone culture through its public activities. However, its primary goals will be the production of interdisciplinary scholarship and the procurement of research funding for interdisciplinary research projects, especially those focused primarily on Louisiana French and Francophone topics.
Overall, the Center aims to provide the framework in which its affiliate scholars can efficiently conduct research. This endeavor implies a multi-year research agenda including: (1) the creation of an international community of scholars, (2) specific projects directed or sponsored by the Center, (3) requests for proposals, and (4) printed and on-line publications of scholarly findings.
In addition, an expanded website serves as an archive for the Center’s scholarship, as well as a link to the community of scholars.
Located in Louisiana’s flagship university, benefiting from Louisiana’s diverse environment and rich cultural heritage, the Center for French and Francophone Studies is well poised to become the preeminent center in this vital area of academic scholarship, serving as a North American gateway to understanding the Francophone world.
Sylvie Dubois
Executive Director
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