Registered Charity 1014382 Association for the Study of Modern & Contemporary France
regions

From its inception the Association's national committee has always sought to encourage groups of academic institutions in the regions to form Local Branches organising Day Conferences or Workshops. Such local groups exist in Oxford, the North East, the Scottish Lowlands and the South-West Wales and West of England.

ASMCF Oxford Local Branch

Founding Co-Coordinators 1985 - 1996 :

Dr. Allan Headlam (Oxford Polytechnic, now Oxford Brookes University)
Mr. Hugh Starkey (Westminster College, Oxford)

Enlarged Steering Group 1997 - 2000 :

Béatrice Davies - Westminster College
Allan Headlam - Oxford Brookes University (Co-Chair)
Mariabelle Headlam - Oxford Brookes University
Irène Hill - Oxford Brookes University
Monique Moreton - Oxford Brookes University
Hugh Starkey - Open University (Co-Chair)
Nicole Tosser - Buckinghamshire College

Revised Steering Group for 2000 +

Nicole Duplain - Hertfordshire University College
Allan Headlam - Oxford Brookes University (Chair)
Mariabelle Headlam - Oxford Brookes University
Irène Hill - Oxford Brookes University
Andrew Knapp - University of Reading
Nicole Tosser - Buckinghamshire College

The Oxford Local Branch was launched in February 1985, with much encouragement from the Maison Française . Eighty-five colleagues attended our inaugural Day Conference in Oxford entitled 'Où va l'enseignement en France?' and welcomed the participation of Professor René Rémond and Hervé Hamon.

Well-placed geographically, the Oxford Local Branch has usually been able to draw colleagues from the Midlands, London , the Home Counties and the South Coast and from academic institutions ranging from Old and New Universities, Teacher Training Colleges, University Colleges, Colleges of Higher and Further Education as well Secondary School Sixth Forms. The Oxford Branch has become the longest running and most active of the Association's Local Branches.

The summary of our Study Day themes and invited speakers since 1985 provides a overview of the range of topics and the quality of the invited speakers.

Wherever possible the Local Branch day conferences are held twice or occasionally three times a year and are advertised using our own mailing list and that of the Maison Française as well as email and the Internet. As part of the day's activities the Association is fortunate to be able to provide an inexpensive French-style buffet lunch by using caterers approved by the Maison Française and these lunches have proved very useful in fostering links between UK colleagues and their French University counterparts.

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South West Wales and West of England Regional Centre for Contemporary French Studies

Sponsers

Professor Alistair Cole, Cardiff University Dr Susan Millar, Bath University

Dr Gino Raymond, Bristol University Professor Mairi MacClean, University of West of England Dr Sharif Gemie, University of Glamorgan

The South Wales and West of England Regional centre for Contemporary French Studies provides a forum and a meeting place to promote the study of modern and contemporary France. The definition of modern and contemporary France is broad to incorporate contemporary French politics and public policy, external relations, modern (twentieth century) French history, related social sciences (sociology, economics), contemporary French society, women's studies, and cultural studies.

The regional centre promotes academic and intellectual exchanges between French specialists at the universities of South Wales and the West of England. The Centre also promotes academic contacts between the Universities of South Wales and the West of England, and universities and research institutes within France. Special emphasis is placed on developing links with western French universities, in Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Aquitaine.

One of the main functions of the Regional Centre is to promote joint publication ventures from its participant partners. Two successful conferences have already been organised: at Cardiff in November 2000 (French Lessons for the Twenty First Century) and at Bristol in May 2001 (Republican Models and Post-Republican Realities). After the National Conference of the ASMCF in August 2002, a third regional conference will be organised in November 2002 at Bath, followed by a fourth at University of the West of England in Spring 2003. The promoters have already been in contact with publishers with the aim of producing a major collective work from these conferences.

The flexibility of the Regional Centre allows each of its members to propose and undertake activities with their particular research interests. The operation of the Regional Centre depends upon the needs of its members. For administrative purposes, the Regional Centre is organised administratively from the School of European Studies at Cardiff University.

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ASMCF North West

ASMCF North West was launched at Edge Hill University in September 2006, since when we have held a regular series of events rotating around different universities in North West England. We aim to bring together the many specialists on modern and contemporary France based in the region, from across different departments and institutions. We have two main clusters of interest, in colonialism/postcolonialism/immigration and in parties/elections. The launch was supported by the ASMCF Initiative Fund, and events are also held in conjunction with other associations. New members, including postgraduates and school teachers, are very welcome, as are suggestions for future activities: please contact Daniel Gordon.

Steering Committee

Programme Spring/Summer 2008

16-18 April at Manchester University

Visit by Rony Brauman (Founder, Médécins sans frontiéres) including:

For further details, please contact Bertrand Taithe

Friday 2 May, 3.00 pm at Chester University

Significant Moments of the Fifth Republic
Round table to mark its fiftieth birthday with
Jill Lovecy (Manchester University), Kate Marsh (Liverpool University), Daniel Gordon (Edge Hill University) and Jonathan Ervine (Bangor University)
+ AGM
Venue: Binks Building, 112 (first floor)
For further details, please contact Brenda Garvey

2-4 July at Liverpool University

Conference on Loss, Nostalgia and la fracture coloniale: contextualising l'Inde perdue
Supported by the ASMCF Initiative Fund
For further details and registration, please contact Kate Marsh

Past Events

20 September 2006, Edge Hill University

Launch +
Joseph McGonagle (Manchester University)
Culture and Ethnicity in Contemporary France: Luc Choquer and Zineb Sedira.
In association with the North West Network of Historians

18 December 2006, Manchester University

Robert Aldrich (Sydney University)
Marshal Lyautey's Funerals - The Afterlife of a French Colonial Hero and the Death of an Empire
In association with Manchester University World History Seminar

Friday 2 March 2007, Salford University

Malcolm Crook (Keele University)
Writing on the Ballot: Spoiled Papers and Blank Votes in France since 1789
In association with the PSA Politics of Representation group

Sunday 22 April 2007, Manchester University

Election Night Event

Friday 15 June 2007, Chester University

Round Table on Postcolonial Memories with Kate Marsh (Liverpool University), John Strachan (Lancaster University) and Brenda Garvey (Chester University)
+ AGM

Wednesday 31 October 2007, Liverpool University

Peter Lennon (Guardian correspondent in Paris in the 1960s)
Screening of his film Rocky Road to Dublin and discussion + drinks reception
In association with the Institute of Irish Studies

Friday 14 December 2007, Edge Hill University

James McDougall (SOAS)
'Problèmes de mémoire: Sarko in Dakar and 'indigènes' in France'
In association with the Society for the Study of French History and Edge Hill University History Research Seminar

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