Before I begin, thank you so much for being here. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am really pleased to start working with you.
First of all let me say a few words about myself. I can easily imagine that you need to know who I am and why I have decided to become the director of this wonderful institution.
To start with, from the very beginning, I grew up and I went to school in Morocco and in the South of France.
I studied at the university of Montpellier where I got a doctorate in French linguistics.
Then my career continued in two directions. The first one in the world of sciences and the second one in the field of culture management. As an engineer belonging to the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), I held project management positions for scientific research. In this context, I was responsible for an important national network of laboratories in the field of human and social sciences. I was also a director of several cultural establishments in France but also in Germany (where I was director of the Institut Français in Stuttgart) and in Luxembourg (where I was cultural adviser at the French Embassy). Before coming to Delhi I was director of an institution made up of three music venues. One of them is the famous auditorium of the Arsenal, one of the most beautiful concert hallsin Europe.
Now I am very happy to be here in Delhi. Let me say that it is not my first time in India. I have made several trips to the north and to the south.
I have a strong interest in the various cultures of India, in its rich past and in its amazing heritage. I am also impressed by its dynamic society.
For me it is a great privilege to work in Delhi for this Alliance Française. It is also an achievement to be able to live and to work in this beautiful and fascinating country.
It is also my pleasure to work under the authority of this governing body composed of such prestigious members. We should be grateful for your commitment, leadership and guidance. Your reflections and your recommendations are vital to being in sync with the intellectual and artistic life in Delhi. Also to be up to the expectations of theIndian partners.
Before coming to Delhi I did some research in order to get information about the position of the Alliance Française. After reading several documents and visiting last December I can appreciate its dynamism, its efficiency, its capacity to create a lot of partnerships.
I must say that I am very impressed. Impressed because of the number and the variety of the cultural activities, impressed about the number of students enrolled, about the quality of the services offered by the French library and also because of its modern equipment.
I am also impressed by the academic and teaching activities. Thanks to the excellent work of my colleague Pierre Yves Meunier, and thanks to the academic team these activities are in full development. I am pleased because it is vital for our organization.
I have noticed also that the translation cell has expanded a lot since it has existed thanks to a lot of interesting assignments and contracts.
Despite being in the first steps of discovering the reality of this Alliance Française and because of all these positive observations, I am aware of taking on an organization which is in good working order.
This situation is reassuring. But also a challenge. The challenge is to keep up good management while developing the necessary dynamics. In an ever changing world we have to remain responsive. Otherwise we risk stagnating, getting rusty.
As you probably know, officially I have a dual role. One is to manage the Alliance Française in Delhi. The other one is to oversee the Alliance Française network in India and in Nepal.
At his request and before leaving for India, I met Jerome Clément who is the president of the Alliance Française Foundation. He insisted on the importance he attaches to this network.
Let me call your attention to what truly pleases me in the Alliance Françaises. It is a deep originality which the Foundation Secretary General has remarked on.
Bertrand Commelin said in a recent interview that the experience of the Alliances Françaises stands at the crossroads of public service, private enterprise and association of citizens.
My feeling is that this comment is especially true of our Alliance Française in Delhi.
To end, I would really like to thank Pierre-Yves Meunier for the fantastic work he did during the last months. He has worked a lot with great efficiency.
Mr. Jean-François RAMON
Director
Alliance Française de Delhi