Institut français
| Type | Cultural institution, EPIC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Key people | President: Xavier Darcos |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Product(s) | French cultural and language education |
| Website | http://www.institutfrancais.com |
The Institut Français is a French public industrial and commercial organization (EPIC). Started by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting French culture around the world, it replaced the Culturesfrance project in 2011[1] with an expanded scope of work and increased resources (Decree No. 2010-1695 of 30 December 2010[2] in response to the law relating to the external scope of the State adopted on July 12, 2010[3]).
Chaired by Xavier Darcos who is assisted by Sylviane Tarsot-Gillery, Deputy General manager, and Peter Colliot, Secretary General,[4] the French Institute works closely with the French cultural network abroad consisting of more than 150 French and institutes nearly 1000 Alliance française around the world. The process of incorporating the cultural networks of a dozen diplomatic missions has been conducted from January 2011 to 2014 as an experiment: Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Georgia, Ghana, India, Kuwait, UK, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore and Syria (suspended due to the political situation in Syria.)
The government has entrusted the Institut français with promoting French culture abroad through artistic exchanges - performing arts, visual arts, architecture, the world-wide diffusion of French books, film, technology and ideas. Accordingly, the institute has developed a new scientific program for the dissemination of culture.
The Institut Français welcomes foreign cultural missions through the organization of "seasons" or festivals and cooperation with the countries of the south, including ensuring the management of the funds of "Fonds Sud Cinema" in partnership with the National Center of Cinematography and the moving image.
It also provides training for newly formed missions and professionalization of staff of the international French cultural network.
History of French cultural institutes and centers
The first French institute was established in 1907 in Florence by Julien Luchaire, with the help of the Faculty of Arts of Grenoble, followed by others would play an important role in the creation of deep cultural ties between France and other country.
Historically the French institutions established in the first half of the 20th century were committed to academic institutions, while the French cultural centers, usually created later in the second half of the 20th century or the beginning of the 21st century was created by the French government. This difference does not exist anymore and cultural centers are now adopting the name of Institut Français.
Some institutions have a bi-national status, governed by a bilateral agreement between the governments, particularly in Guinea (Conakry), Guinea Bissau ( Bissau), Mozambique ( Maputo), Namibia ( Windhoek) and Niger (Jean Rouch Franco-Nigerien Cultural Centre of Niamey ).
The 143 French institutions and French cultural centers are institutions located outside France under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and charged with promoting intellectual and cultural audiovisual cooperation between professionals, to present the French and Francophone contemporary art for all audiences (to begin with, with the young audience), to promote French higher education to foreign students and teachers and offer a complete range of teaching the French language.
They usually have, in the embassies of France which they depend, a financially (but not legally) autonomous status. This also gives gives its director the status of authorizing being accountable for the budget devoted to the establishment (which is a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from its own resources) and a reserve fund not limited to the year which enables the creation of multi-year programs.
They are funded fully or partially by their own revenues raised by teaching French as a foreign language and sponsorship (for those with a genuine ambition in terms of cultural engineering).
Moreover, the French research institutes abroad (IFRE) depend jointly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CNRS .
Today, French institutions and French cultural centers (RTCs) are essential levers for the development of cooperation between network professionals culture and education as well as for the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity.
Some international French institutes
Cultural institutes
In Europe
- Institut français d’Ankara
- Institut français d'Allemagne
- Institut français d'Athènes
- Institut français de Bratislava
- Institut français de Bucarest
- Institut français de Budapest
- Institut français d'Écosse (Édimbourg)
- Institut français de Finlande
- Institut français de Florence
- Institut français de Grèce (Thessalonique)
- Institut français d’Istanbul
- Institut français d'Italie
- Institut français du Portugal
- Institut français du Royaume-Uni (London)
- Institut français de Madrid
- Institut français de Barcelone
- Institut français - Centre Saint-Louis (Rome)
- Institut français de Naples
- Institut français de Milan
- Institut français de Norvège
- Institut français de Palerme
- Institut français de Pologne : Cracovie et Varsovie
- Institut français de Prague
- Institut français de Saint-Pétersbourg
- Institut français de Saragosse
- Institut français de Sofia
- Institut français de Stockholm
- Institut français de Stuttgart
- Institut français des Pays-Bas
- Institut français de Thessalonique
- Institut français de Valence
- Institut français de Vienne
- Institut français de Zagreb
Outside Europe
- Africa
- Instituts français en Algérie (Algeria) - at Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Annaba and Tlemcen
- Instituts français au Maroc (Morocco) - at Agadir, Casablanca, Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Oujda, Rabat-Salé and Tangier
- Institut français de Mauritanie (Mauritania) - at Nouakchott
- Institut français de Maurice à Beau-Bassin Rose-Hilll
- Institut français Léopold Sédar Senghor à Dakar
- America
- Institut franco-chilien - Instituto chileno-francés at Providencia, Chile
- Institut français d'Amérique latine at México
- Asia
- Institut français de Singapour at Singapore
- Institut français de Birmanie (Myanmar) at Rangoon
- Institut français en Inde (India) at New Delhi
- Institut français de Tel-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Institut français du Japon :
- Institut français de Jérusalem - Romain Gary, Jérusalem
- Mission culturelle française au Liban (Libya) at Beyrouth, Tripoli, Saïda, Deir el-Qamar, Zahlé, Jounieh, Nabatieh, Tyr and Baalbeck
- Institut français en Irak at Bagdad and Erbil
Research institutes IFRE
- Institut de recherche sur le Maghreb contemporain (IRMC) - Tunis
- Institut de recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est contemporaine (IRASEC) - Bangkok
- Institut français d'archéologie orientale (IFAO) - Le Caire (rattaché au MESR et non au MAEE)
- Institut français de Pondichéry (IFP) - Pondichéry
- Institut français de recherche en Afrique (IFRA) - Ibadan - Nairobi
- Institut Français de Recherche en Iran (IFRI) - Téhéran
- Institut français du Proche-Orient (IFPO) - Damas – Beyrouth – Amman
- Institut français d'Afrique du Sud (IFAS) - Johannesburg
- Institut français d'études anatoliennes Georges Dumézil (IFEA) - Istanbul
- Institut français d’études andines (IFEA) - Lima
- Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFEAC) - Tachkent
- Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem (CRFJ) - Israël
- Maison Française d'Oxford (MFO) - Grande-Bretagne