Society for French Studies

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The Society for French Studies, or SFS, is the oldest learned association for French Studies in the UK and Ireland. It aims to promote teaching and research in French Studies within higher education. The current President is Professor Nicholas Harrison. [1]

Contents

Scholarly activities

The society has a quarterly journal published on its behalf called French Studies (Oxford University Press), as well as a bulletin for shorter pieces and news called The French Studies Bulletin . The society also produces Research Monographs in French Studies with Legenda (imprint) and Modern Humanities Research Association. There is also an annual conference.

Each year, the society awards the Malcom Bowie Prize, the R. Gapper Book Prize, the R. Gapper Postgraduate Essay Prize, and the R. Gapper Undergraduate Essay Prize for the best scholarship produced by scholars at higher education institutions in the UK or Ireland. The Malcom Bowie Prize, awarded for the best article by an early-career researcher in the broader discipline of French Studies, was set up in honour of Malcom Bowie (1943–2007), President of the Society from 1994 to 1996 and General Editor of the journal French Studies from 1980 to 1987. [2] The three R. Gapper prizes are supported by of the Gapper Charitable Trust, which was founded by Richard Gapper (1943–2014), Honorary Treasurer of the Society from 1997 to 2000 and a long-standing member of its Finance Committee. [3] Since 2024, the Society has also awarded a yearly Simon Gaunt Postgraduate Travel Grant, named after the scholar of medieval French literature and former President of the Society Simon Gaunt (1959–2021). [4]

Lobbying

The society promotes and defends languages learning and the humanities in general within the national educational agendas of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and also internationally. It pursues these aims through a variety of activities and communications, including collaboration and active lobbying within the policy sphere. It has lobbied and published statements concerning open-access publishing, [5] A-level exam content, [6] and the future of modern language learning in schools and universities in the UK and Ireland. [7] Agencies with which it has engaged since 2014 include HEFCE, Ofqual, and the UK Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Past Presidents

References

  1. ↑ "Executive Committee". The Society for French Studies. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "Malcolm Bowie Prize". The Society for French Studies. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Prizes". The Society for French Studies. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "The Simon Gaunt Postgraduate Travel Grant". The Society for French Studies. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "HEFCE Project on Monographs and Open Access: Response on behalf of the Society for French Studies of the United Kingdom and Ireland (SFS)" (PDF). 30 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Ofqual consultation on AS/A level proposals in Modern Languages: A joint response on behalf of the Society for French Studies of the United Kingdom and Ireland (SFS) and the Association of University Professors and Heads of French (AUPHF)" (PDF). 30 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Joint Response by the Society for French Studies and the AUPHF to the DfE Consultation on ALCAB's Report and Specification of Content for the New MFL A Level" (PDF). 30 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Executive Committee 2000-2001". The Society for French Studies. 2000. Archived from the original on 2 November 2000. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Executive committee". Society for French Studies. 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Executive committee". Society for French Studies. 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Executive Committee". The Society for French Studies. Retrieved 14 January 2026.


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