A Garden Party to Remember: Celebrating 80 Years of the Maison Française d'Oxford

Photograph by Jimmy Symonds

On Saturday 27 June, we concluded our celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Maison Française d'Oxford (1946-2026) with our annual Garden Party and the opening of a new exhibition dedicated to the history of the Maison. Held under the High Patronage of H.E. Hélène Duchêne, Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom, and in the presence of Lord William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Tarassenko, Chewe Mukonge, the Lord Mayor of Oxford, alongside Fabrice Boudjaaba, Director of CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences, many distinguished guests, colleagues, alumni and friends, the event was a fitting conclusion to three memorable days celebrating eight decades of intellectual exchange, friendship and Franco-British collaboration.

The anniversary programme began with the MFO Night, which brought together researchers, alumni, colleagues and friends for an evening of stimulating conversations spanning science diplomacy, politics, literature, history, French studies and the social sciences. The evening also featured a moving tribute to Agnès Alexandre-Collier and Alain Viala, recognising their lasting contributions to the Maison Française d'Oxford.

The celebrations continued with our Annual Alumni Lecture, delivered by Professor Anne Dunan-Page, whose fascinating talk, Une « Maison de fous » ? La MFO au sortir de la Seconde Guerre, drew on newly uncovered archives to explore the remarkable story of the Maison's early years in the aftermath of the Second World War. The occasion also marked the publication of her new book, La bataille d'Oxford. Une histoire de la Maison française de 1946 à 1970.

Our anniversary celebrations offered an opportunity not only to reflect on the Maison's rich history and the generations of scholars who have shaped it, but also to look confidently towards its future as a vibrant centre for research, dialogue and Franco-British cooperation.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the Maison Française d'Oxford throughout the past eighty years, especially our governing bodies and committees, the CNRS, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French Embassy in the United Kingdom, the University of Oxford, the Embassy's Department for Science and Technology, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, as well as all our partners, alumni, colleagues and friends. Their continued support ensures that the Maison remains a unique place of academic excellence, cultural exchange and international collaboration.

As we celebrate this important milestone, we look forward to the next chapter in the Maison Française d'Oxford's history, continuing its mission of fostering research, dialogue and enduring friendship between France and the United Kingdom.

A special thank you to the talented Jimmy Symonds for capturing the spirit of our Anniversary Garden Party in such beautiful photographs. The selection below offers a glimpse of this memorable celebration, and each image is clickable to reveal the full gallery. Enjoy!