Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 French Foreign Cultural Activities: A Tradition with a Long History
- 2 Cultural and Scientific Action since 1995: Soft Power or Hard Power?
- 3 The Protagonists of Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy; 2011: A New Start
- 4 Cultural Diplomacy and the Arts
- 5 Science and University Diplomacy
- 6 Linguistic and Educational Cooperation
- 7 The Organization and Implementation of French Cultural and Scientific Activities Abroad
- Conclusion
- Index
Introduction
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 French Foreign Cultural Activities: A Tradition with a Long History
- 2 Cultural and Scientific Action since 1995: Soft Power or Hard Power?
- 3 The Protagonists of Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy; 2011: A New Start
- 4 Cultural Diplomacy and the Arts
- 5 Science and University Diplomacy
- 6 Linguistic and Educational Cooperation
- 7 The Organization and Implementation of French Cultural and Scientific Activities Abroad
- Conclusion
- Index
Summary
A philosopher must undertake three journeys: first the encyclopaedic journey, second a journey around the world (a philosopher who would not have seen the oceans, the poles and the equator would ignore the world). The third journey is one amongst mankind … This third journey goes two ways: one has to have friends everywhere, have talks with all, and one has to journey within the various social classes.
(Interview with Michel Serres, June 2003)French cultural and scientific initiatives are very topical, judging by the number of parliamentary reports and studies, as well as recent announcements by government on their organization and future.
Reports and Opinions on the Foreign Activities of the French Government
During the last decade or so, several parliamentary reports have highlighted the themes of French cultural and scientific influence, from Patrick Bloche, Le désir de France: la présence internationale de la France et la francophonie dans la société de l'information: rapport au Premier ministre (1999) to François Rochebloine and Geneviève Colot, Rapport d'information sur ‘le rayonnement de la France par l'enseignement et la culture’ (2010).
In addition, there have been a number of reports and opinions of non-parliamentary origin on the subject. If we add to this the numerous articles and features published in the press over recent years, we see some measure of the importance of France's cultural and scientific message, as well as the contours of its foreign cultural and scientific policies.
New Public Institutions Contributing to the Foreign Initiatives of France
The law of 27 July 2010 dealing with the foreign activities of the state led to the development of new tools to renew the diplomacy and influence of France; first, from 1 January 2011, is the Institut français, presided over by Xavier Darcos, ambassador for the foreign cultural policies of France, the object of which is to create an integrated body to oversee the network of cultural centres and Institutes abroad.
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- French Scientific and Cultural Diplomacy , pp. 1 - 6Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2013