Parlez-vous Francais? French Language Reception -- Young Professionals International Forum

A fervent student of literature, and of Greek and Latin in particular, Pierre-François Mourier enrolled at the “Ecole normale supérieure” in Paris in 1988. He obtained his teaching degree (the “Agrégation”) in the Classics, and went on to further his studies at the Sorbonne, specializing in late Latin civilization. He has translated the correspondence of Saint Felix, who was bishop of Pavia in the early sixth century.

After his studies in 1991 he became cultural attaché in New York to fulfill his then obligatory military service, where he was in charge of the promotion of French books in the United States. He subsequently became a copy editor at the magazine Esprit in Paris, and remains a member of the editorial board. At the same time he taught Latin language and civilization at the university. He took part, on several occasions, in the summer sessions held at Middlebury College in Vermont (classes and lectures on French literature, cinema and political institutions).

In 1996 he started a number of publications for the “Ecole nationale supérieure du paysage” de Versailles (Higher National School for Landscape-Architects), in the King’s Kitchen Garden at Versailles, in collaboration with the publisher Actes Sud, founding a journal, Carnets du Paysage, and a collection of works on architecture and landscape. He was also head of the department of social and human sciences at the school, whose president at the time was the French writer Erik Orsenna.

Appointed in 2002 as a member of the Conseil d’Etat, Pierre-François Mourier was in charge of matters relative to secondary and higher education and research. This would bring him in 2003 onto the staff of Xavier Darcos, who was Minister of Schools at the time. He then worked from 2004 to 2005 with François Fillon, then Minister of Education, on reforming the French national research system.

Finally, as of 2005, he joined the staff of the President of the Republic where he was in succession senior adviser for studies and speeches, then senior adviser for education and culture.

Pierre-François Mourier is the author of several essays: NormaleS Sup’, des elites pour quoi faire? (Editions de l’Aube, 1994); Cicéron, l’avocat et la République (Michalon, 1996); Balzac, l’injustice de la loi (Michalon, 1997); Le Parlement européen à Strasbourg (L’Imprimeur, 2000); Les Cicatrices du paysage, essai d’écologie scientifique (Actes Sud, December, 2000).

In 2005 he published a first novel, La Spore, with the Editions de la Table ronde.