Openminded French salon extends its English affair

Oxford's Maison Française, a leading light in the study of French culture, is broadening its remit to encompass scientific research under a new director, Jean-Claude Sergeant. Jane Marshall reports.

Jean-Claude Sergeant is steeped in two different and often opposing cultures. As professor of English civilisation at the Sorbonne, he has spent the past 17 years lecturing the French on British culture. Now it is England's turn to get the French treatment.

Newly installed as director of the Maison Francaise d'Oxford, his approach echoes what the European Year of Languages - officially launched in the United Kingdom last week - is all about: developing "an informed openness to foreign cultures".

Sergeant, who was also director of international programmes and director of the Institut du Monde Anglophone at the Sorbonne, believes that the MFO should reflect "the debates taking place in French society", which, he says, "are inevitably rooted in specific customs and cultural values".

Since its creation in 1946, the MFO has been closely associated with French culture. Although is does not offer language courses, it has provided books, magazines, films, exhibitions and a venue for lectures by well-known French names such as Jacques Derrida and Claude Lévi-Strauss.

The main thrust of Sergeant's new post, which he will hold for up to four years, is to lead the MFO in new directions - towards closer academic cooperation with Oxford University and the development of its role in scientific research.

The MFO is funded by the French ministry of foreign affairs, but its purpose is to represent France's universities, and the chancellor of the universities of Paris has a big say in its policy. "He wants me to make it possible for French academics to go to Oxford, strike deals and develop cooperative programmes," Sergeant says. "I would define my role as a facilitator between French and English academics."

Another change took place in 1999, when the MFO became an associate research unit of France's National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) for four years, on the initiative of Sergeant's predecessor, Jean-Claude Vatin, a CNRS sociologist. Through this arrangement, three Franco-British comparative programmes were established: history of science and technologies; history and theories of art; and political opinions, attitudes and behaviour.

"The MFO is immersed in research that must be completed by 2002. At the same time, I am trying to act as a go-between for French universities and Oxford to facilitate cooperative projects," Sergeant says.

The culture element of the MFO - including cinema and theatre - will remain, "but on the back burner", Sergeant says. "The British educated classes in Oxford do not need us for access to French culture. They can hop off to France, and French culture is not quite so exotic as it used to be."

Nevertheless, a browse through the MFO schedule reveals a varied programme of culture and science that is very much Sergeant's brainchild. "Two of the conferences, on scientific controversies and on surrealism, highlight the MFO's contribution to its research remit. However, two events, focusing on the measuring of television audiences and on political communication, constitute a new dimension that I wanted to add to the MFO's existing range of interests," he says.

The media is just one of a broad range of interests, including defence studies, in a career spanning 30 years. In 1971, Sergeant began as a lecturer at the University of Paris III, Sorbonne Nouvelle, where he prepared his PhD thesis "based on analysing the leader columns of the national press, their importance as products and their functions". He moved to a chair at Nancy University where he formulated courses in civilisation "with a particular interest in the British, but discussed in a wider European and transatlantic context".

In 1983, Sergeant returned as full professor to Paris III, where he developed studies in langues étrangères appliquées - languages applied to the field of economics or law. "A new kind of student appeared, attracted to foreign languages related to career opportunities rather than the traditional academic, literary studies," he says. Ten years ago, he established a postgraduate course in French and English journalism. It is the only one of its kind, and it attracts about 200 applications a year for the 25 places available.

Sergeant has also been active in European exchange programmes, most recently Euromasters, which originated in Bath. He specialises in European political and cultural policies. "Students must be up to masters level for the languages, and they carry out research in the field. They end up as experts in European systems, with a great deal of grassroots experience. They might become highly competent members of the European administrative machinery, or lobbyists working on the other side - gamekeepers turned poachers."

For the future, Sergeant plans an MFO project based around old age that "can bring together experts from several specialisations who would not normally listen to what the others have to say. Compartmentalisation between disciplines is very frustrating: cross-cutting projects can unite people. It would be nice to bring together a number of different elements involved in what we call old age - they could include music and old age in French cinema, for example."

Another of his ideas is to focus on specific French regions, such as Picardy. "There has been much decentralisation over the past 20 years. What potential is there for regions to address development problems themselves rather than relying on the state?" he asks.

Despite the pressure to introduce ideas and take the MFO in different directions, Sergeant is anxious not to alienate its traditional clientele. "It is about reconciling different roles. Even if the emphasis is on research and academic cooperation, I will try to retain some of the elements that have made the Maison Francaise a focal point for people interested in French politics, culture and society. Anything French - as long as it is serious."

Maison Francaise d'Oxford, Norham Road, Oxford OX2 6SE. Telephone: 01865 4220; email maison@sable.ox.ac.uk .