New center to focus on French studies

The study of French in the arts, education, business, science, technology and literature will advance with the establishment of the Center for Interdisciplinary French Studies on the campus.

The Department of French & Italian will celebrate the new center starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, with speakers and a reception at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. Speakers include Jean-René Gehan, consul general of France; Brenda Blanchard, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce; David Trubek, dean of International Studies and Programs; and Jane Tylus, associate dean for the humanities in the College of Letters and Science.

Funded in part by the French government and a Madison-area private donor, the center is affiliated with UW–Madison’s International Institute and European Studies Alliance.

The Center for Interdisciplinary French Studies will encourage outreach and collaboration among academics, professionals, students and the general public within the context of increased cooperation between Wisconsin and France.

The French Embassy has developed a network of centers at some of the most prestigious American universities, including University of Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois, New York University, Princeton, Stanford, University of California-Los Angeles and Yale.

For information about this inaugural event, contact Lori Brooks, 262-3941.