Oxbridge Academic Programs - L'Académie de France

Dr David Ranc. BA Université de Paris X, MA Sciences-Po, MPhil, DPhil Cambridge. David is a published photographer specializing in portraits, fashion, still life and architecture, as well as an accomplished web designer, and experienced French teacher. He has worked in insurance, journalism and as a headhunter in Singapore, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. David wrote his PhD dissertation on the politics of soccer fans. A great sportsman, David has rowed for Trinity Hall Boat Club and the Cambridge 99s, as well as for clubs in Paris. He was also a member of the Cambridge University Horse Riding team and practiced track and field at the Royal Ixelles Sporting Club.

Caroline Chaplain. BA (Hons), MA (Hons) Université de Montpellier III. Caroline teaches Art History at l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier and at l’Université de Montpellier III, where she is currently completing her doctoral research on the Knights of Malta and their artistic orders and patronage in the south of France during the 17th and 18th centuries. She has published articles on this topic for local reviews specializing in historical architecture. Her most recent article is on the Commandery of Sainte Eulalie in the 17th century. Caroline also works at the Château de Flaugergues where she is in charge of the inventory of the château’s contents and leading tours of the grounds. She is an amateur belly dancer and a specialist in traditional dances of the Languedoc.

Mark Fisher. BSc (Hons) London School of Economics, MPhil Cambridge. Mark’s research interests are focused on the life and work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the historical evolution of the Western understanding of human equality. After living in the UK for four years and receiving degrees in Political Philosophy from LSE and Cambridge, Mark relocated to Pune, India where he currently teaches philosophy at the Mahindra United World College of India. Mark is an accomplished athlete, having played baseball at the University of North Carolina before transferring to LSE, and is an avid reader of all genres of literature, though existentialism is a distinct favorite.

Laure Bretsztajn. DEUG (Hons) BA (Hons) Université d’Aix en Provence. Born and raised in the South of France, Laure studied law at the Faculty of Law of Aix en Provence and as an exchange student at McGill University. She obtained her law degree with honors and numerous prizes. She went on to study medicine due to her particular interest in legal medicine and medical ethics. She is also an accomplished cello player.

Bénédicte Idier. BA, MA (Hons) Université de Montpellier III. Having recently passed the very competitive, national Agrégation exam, Bénédicte teaches Spanish at the Université de Montpellier III, where she is also preparing a thesis on contemporary Spanish theatre. A longtime resident of Montpellier, Bénédicte has lived and studied in Madrid and has taught French both in France and abroad. She is also accomplished in the dramatic arts.

Jérémy Cheval. BA, MA Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier. A practicing architect, Jérémy’s projects are concerned with conservation, ecology and sociological issues. His thesis was on the Shanghainese lilong, an architectural urban development project which integrates old and new. Jérémy often uses video as a tool in his architectural research, and his films have been shown in Shanghai, Köln, Paris, Los Angeles, and Montpellier. Always linking art and architecture, he is about to publish a book of watercolors of the sea of Palavas, close to Montpellier.

Claire Vernine. BA, MA Université de Montpellier III. A dedicated French teacher of all levels, Claire has taught in France and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne), and is now spending a year teaching in Morocco. She loves to travel, and hopes to continue sharing her passion for the French language with students around the world.

Sean Van Ginderdeuren. BA, MA Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, MA Université de Montpellier I. Sean obtained his first Master’s degree in Law, during which time he spent a semester at the Charles University in Prague. He then got his second Master’s in International and European Public Law. Sean is very interested in the creation and management of European legal and political affairs. He has enjoyed working with high school students for several years, and is a huge fan of music as well as a passionate soccer player. Sean is now embarking on a professional career in the German legal sector.

Dr Armelle d’Hauteville. BA, MA, PhD Université de Montpellier III. Armelle grew up and still lives in Sète, a small town just outside Montpellier, home to fishermen and poets alike. During her studies, she held the position of French cultural representative at the Epcot Center in Florida and taught French in New Zealand. Afterwards, she went on to teach nominal semantics and publish research on cognitive and socio-semantics, and on the work of Roland Barthes. She has traveled extensively all over the world but always finds her way back to her beloved South of France. She attended high school at Lycée Notre Dame de la Merci.