JNU is the first University in the country to create a Centre of French and Francophone Studies. The new nomenclature of the Centre has vital academic, national and international implications. The teaching and research carried out in the French Language on the Francophone(French speaking) countries would benefit the scholars of the Centre, should facilitiate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research between the Centre and other Centres of the Schools at JNU as well as with other universities and institutions both in India and abroad. In this way, the Francophone Centre would eventually become a rich resource and documentation centre accessible to institutions and individuals..
In a highly polarised world India has to attach great importance to the Francophone movement grouping to-gether some 46 countries and governments, as was evident at the VIlth Francophone Summit held in November1997, at Hanoi (Vietnam). And so, the research carried out at this Centre would and should be a major contribution to a holistic, deeper and more authentic understanding of the cultural, socio-economic and political realtity of these countries not easily reflected in isolated English translations and in a limited anglo-saxon viewpoint.
The nomenclature is a challenge to the Centre of French and Francophone Studies to live up to these lofty expectations.
