Alliance Francaise de Kotte welcomes new director

The Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s premier educational institute for French language and culture, welcomed its new Director Claude Alexandre Martinez who is concurrently the General Delegate of the Alliance Francaise in Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Martinez takes over the mantle from Bertrand Dufieux who, together with a team of Sri Lankan friends of France, launched the Alliance Frangaise de Kotte in Colombo in May 2010 with the support of the Foundation Alliance Francaise in Paris and the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

With a prolific academic and professional background, combined with his strong involvement with the international Alliance Francaise network, notably with Alliance Francaise du Bengale in Kolkata, India, Alliance Francaise de Bangui in the Central African Republic and Alliance Frangaise de Lusaka in Zambia, Martinez looks forward to develop the young Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo during his four year tenure in Sri Lanka.

Since 2009, he has been the director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale in Kolkata, India and was constantly involved with frequent cultural and linguistic operations. Hence, he becomes another strong member of the international Alliance Francaise network which is the world’s largest cultural entity offering French language training and cultural events in 136 countries across all five continents.

Along with the Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo, there are only three other official Alliances in Sri Lanka – namely Kandy, Jaffna, Matara (and its annex in Galle) which all follow the international standards set by the Foundation Alliance Francaise in Paris which is the moral and legal reference of the Alliances Francaises throughout the world.

They specialise in teaching French as a foreign language using highly acclaimed teachers, in promoting French culture and finally by offering certificates and diplomas recognised worldwide. The connection of the Alliance Frangaise network with the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka is of utmost importance as they collaborate at all times under the patronage of the French Ambassador in promoting French language and organising a multitude of cultural activities throughout the year.

The embassy constantly facilitates all Alliances with teacher training programs, workshops and by providing guidelines for higher studies in France while enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries.

As its name implies, Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo with its four official branches plays a key role in promoting French language and culture to the largest possible audience in Sri Lanka.  The arrival of its new director promises another milestone in the history of Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo allowing the creation of stronger friendship which goes beyond the French language and includes Sinhala, Tamil and English speaking communities in a common interest towards the cultural diversity and the values of the francophone world.