Collaborative Doctoral Award with the Institut Francais

The School of History at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in association with the Institut Français of London is pleased to announce a full three year PhD studentship (AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award) covering fees and maintenance for three years from September 2011 for a student to work on the history of the Institut Français. The project will be supervised by Professor Julian Jackson (QMUL) with co-supervision from Professor Philippe Lane of the Institut Français.

The Institut Français was founded in 1910 on the initiative of a young French woman, Marie d’Orliac, who wanted to introduce French culture to a British public. Its foundation was in the spirit of the new era of Franco-British co-operation inaugurated by the Entente Cordiale of 1904 and it has played a vital role in the life of the French community in London ever since – and played a role in the early days of general de Gaulle’s Free French Movement. It is now the most important French cultural organisation in the United Kingdom.

Please contact Professor Julian Jackson (j.t.jackson@qmul.ac.uk) if you have any further questions.

Applicants will be required to have an MA in History (or be expected to attain one by the start of the studetntship) and good knowledge of French. The deadline for applications is 24 June 2011.

The Partnership

QMUL, in particular the School of History, and the Institut Français have worked together closely in recent years in particular on the joint conference (held in both Institutions) in 2004 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of the French historian and resister Marc Bloch and the close involvement in 2010 of Professor Jackson from the QMUL School of History in the organisation at the Institut of a series of anniversary events to commemorate de Gaulle’s historic broadcast from London in 1940. These events were marked by the visit of President Sarkozy to London on 18 June.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this project is to produce the first ever  history of the Institut Français of London. It proposes to use the Institut as a case study to investigate three inter-related research areas:

  1. The evolution and nature of Franco-British cultural exchanges in the twentieth century.
  2. The history of the French community in London.
  3. The development of French cultural diplomacy.

Research questions

While addressing the general issues above, the project will set out to answer a number of specific research questions which may include:

  • How did the foundation of the Institut fit into the politics of the Entente Cordiale of 1904?
  • What role did the Institut play in attempts to build up the Franco-British alliance in the 1930s?
  • What role did the Institut play in the the Second World War when it became a rallying point  for early recruits to the Free French? How and why did this change as its Director moved to a more anti-Gaullist position?
  • How has the Institut reflected the changing cultural strategies and priorities of the French state?   What do we learn form its programme of speakers and events about changing cultural fashions and values (for example did May 1968 have any important impact in this respect?)
  • What was the relationship between the Institut and other French associations in London – most importantly the Alliance française – and British organisations like the Franco-British Union.
  • To what extent has the Institut acted as a forum of cultural exchange between the French and British?
  • What role was played in it by leading British francophiles and commentators on France like Denis Brogan (Cambridge) or Dorothy Pickles (LSE) or Philip Williams (Oxford)?

Candidates will also be expected to develop their own specific research questions in relation to the specified research areas and their own research interests.

The outcomes of the project besides the PhD thesis will include: (a) an historical exhibition on the history of the Institut and the life of the French community in London to be prepared in the third year and mounted at the Institut in the autumn of 2014; (b) an on-line historical resource for the Institut’s Culturetheque  website selecting, organising and presenting  documentary material visual and written on the history of the Institut and on the French in London. The Institut and French Embassy have expressed strong interest in supporting the publication of the thesis as a book in either Britain or France.

Eligibilty

Full are in general AHRC studentships are available to UK nationals and EU nationals who can demonstrate a “relevant connection” to the UK. For a full outline of residency eligibility see Annexe A of the AHRC’s Guide to Student Funding:

http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities/documents/guidetostudentfunding.pdf?#page=65

How to Apply

Candidates should apply to the PhD programme through the normal process, details of which are outlined on the School’s website:

http://www.history.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/index.html

Applicants should include, in the place of a research summary, a short statement (maximum two A4 pages) outlining how their own background and research skills would prepare them well for this project.

Shortlisited applicants will be interviewed at the start of July.