The LSU Center for French and Francophone Studies (CFFS) is a member of the Centers of Excellence Network, designated by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The mission of the CFFS is to promote the development of French and Francophone culture and scholarship at LSU and in Louisiana more broadly.

The CFFS serves as a research and pedagogy hub bringing together members of the LSU community who share an interest in French and global Francophone studies, including the Department of French Studies which houses the CFFS and is a close collaborator in its programming. As part of its mission, the CFFS seeks to continuously engage, both in person and virtually, with scholars and students across all units at LSU to promote interdisciplinary programming around French culture. This includes collaborations with International Programs, the Office of Research and Development, the LSU Rural Life Museum, and LSU University Press.

In addition to its role within LSU, the CFFS serves the broader community, including the Friends of French at LSU, the Louisiana Museum of Art, Whitney Plantation, the Consulate General of France in New Orleans, and regional higher-ed institutions. Through public scholarship and cultural events that reinforce the continued importance of French in South Louisiana, the CFFS affirms Louisiana’s deep historical and cultural connections to the broader Francophone world. To that end, the CFFS also sponsors international exchanges with France, Canada, Francophone countries in Europe and Africa, and the French Antilles.

The CFFS will accomplish its goals by fully or partially sponsoring colloquia, lectures and workshops on arts, humanities, and social sciences in Louisiana and global French communities in support of its mission, and will seek internal and external funding to support all of its activities on a continuous basis.