Dedicated entirely to the study of the societies of South, Southeast and East Asia, the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient (EFEO) is the oldest and most prestigious French academic institution in Asia. However, there is surprisingly little general awareness of this society, beyond the facts that is headquarters are now located in Paris and its foremost area of research is archaeology.
This volume makes good this dearth of background information, and does much more besides. It traces in detail the institution’s history, starting from its founding in Saigon in 1900, right through to the tumultuous years of the two World Wars and several civil wars, to its present-day status.
This book is also lavishly illustrated with material from public and private collections, depicting various aspects of the EFEO’s activities and those of its many devoted scholars. This book bears testament to the tremendous self-belief and commitment shown by the EFEO since its inauguration, a spirit which has enabled the School to survive and evolve over the last century, while retaining its long-standing and intimate relationship with Asia. The School remains to this day an essential port of call for students of all Asian cultures.
