VIP Visits

• Year 2010

February 19 Mr. and Mrs. Gilles LEON-DUFOUR were given a guide tour of the Institute’s activity and resources by Dr. François GRIMAL, researcher at the EFEO, and Mr. Anand PAKIAM, communications-in-charge.

February 15 Professor Lord Julian HUNT, a well-known expert in the field of climate change science, and his wife, Lady Marylla HUNT, visited the Institute on February 15, and both delivered a lecture. In the evening, another lecture was given by Lord Julian HUNT on the topic of "Science and policies for climate change: what we should do now!", and was organised by the Alliance française in Pondicherry, the French Institute and the British Council (see photo).

• Year 2009

August 28 Mr. Pierre FOURNIER, newly appointed Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai and successor to Mrs. Joëlle RAYET, visited the Institute on August 28 and met with the Director, Prof. Velayoudom MARIMOUTOU (see photo).

August 18 Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri SIRINDHORN of Thailand expressed much interest to the activities undertaken by the Institute during her two-hour visit on August 18. She first visited the Laboratory of Applied Informatics and Geomatics (LIAG) where she was also given a presentation of some of the projects led in the Social Sciences Department. The visit continued with a presentation of the Ecology Department, the library, the manuscript room and the photo archives. It concluded with a meet with the Director and all the heads of Departments in the gardens of the IFP (see photo).

August 4 Prof. J.A.K. TAREEN, Vice-Chancellor of the Pondicherry University, visited the Institute and interacted with the research scholars here.He emphasized notably on the need for the Pondicherry University and the IFP to collaborate further with regards to their scientific activity as well as the sharing of their resources (see photo).

June 30 Mr. R. SRIDHARAN, Joint Secretary and Advisory to the Planning Commission of India, met the IFP Director, Prof. Velayoudom MARIMOUTOU and the Communications Officer, Mr. Anand PAKIAM, in the framework of a brief visit, where he was given an overview of the activities of the Institute, and was shown some of its unique manuscript collection (see photo).

February 20 Mr. Jacques VALADE, ex-Minister and “Itinerant Ambassador for Asia” in charge of studying the ways to reinforce decentralised cooperation between France and Asia, was given a presentation of the Institute by its Director, Prof. Velayoudom MARIMOUTOU.

February 10 Mr. Jean-Marie BOCKEL, Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans to the French Defense Minister, visited the Institute along with the Ambassador of France in India, Mr. Jérôme BONNAFONT, and with Mrs. Joëlle RAYET, Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai. (see photo)

January 30 A delegation from the French Home Ministry made up of seven prefects of different regions of France visited the Institute in the framework of a one-week visit to India. They were accompanied by Mrs. Joëlle RAYET, Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai. The members of the Delegation were: Mrs. Bernadette MALGORN, Mme Evelyne RATTE, M. Jean-Michel DREVET, M. Stéphane FRATACCI, M. Thierry LATASTE, M. Henri MASSE, M. Richard SAMUEL and Mme Anne AZAM-PRADEILLES. They were greeted by Yvan PRIKHODIKO, Secretary General of the IFP, Laurent PORDIE, social scientist, and Anand PAKIAM, communications in charge. They then visited the Geomatics Laboratory where Pascal DOUARD and Guillaume CHAMPLONG, two International Civil Volunteers gave them an overview of the laboratory’s activities. The visit continued with a presentation of the projects led in the Ecology Department by its Head, Dr. Raphaël PELISSIER as well as by Dr. B.R. RAMESH and Dr. N. AYYAPPAN. The Indology department and more specifically the unique manuscript collection of the IFP was presented to them by Mr. M. KANNAN. The visit was followed by a meet with different researchers of the IFP in the conference hall of the Institute, to discuss about social issues in India. (see photo)

• Year 2008

September 20 Mrs. Catherine BRÉCHIGNAC, President of the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) visited the Institute along with eight other delegates, in the framework of a five-day scientific visit to India, spanning from September 16 to September 21, 2008. Mrs. BRÉCHIGNAC and the delegation members were first given an overall Powerpoint presentation of the Institute by the new director, Prof. Velayoudom MARIMOUTOU. They then proceeded to a visit of each department, where the concerned Heads explained the different projects undertaken in their respective fields. They were also shown the unique collection of Saiva manuscripts on palm leaves housed at the Institute and given details on the extensive documentary resources available here. The visit ended with an aperitif in the gardens of the IFP. (see photo)

September 11 Mr. Brian FERINDEN, Press Officer at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, visited the Institute, accompanied by Mrs. L. KRISHNAKUMARI, Program Manager at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai. They were greeted, in the absence of the Director, by the Secretary General of the IFP, Mr. Yvan PRIKHODIKO and the Communications in Charge, Mr. Anand PAKIAM, who gave them an overall presentation of the activities of the Institute. The visit continued with a more in-depth presentation by researchers of the IFP, of some of the key projects led in the departments of Ecology, Social Sciences and Indology, as well as in the Laboratory of Applied Informatics and Geomatics. (see photo)

June 25 Swamiji Christian FABRE, CEO of the Chennai-based enterprise "Fashions International", was given a presentation of the activities and shown around the Institute by the Director, Dr. Jean-Pierre MULLER. He notably spent some time looking at the unique Shaiva manuscript collection of the Institute, which Dr. T. GANESAN presented him. (see photo)

April 10 An inter-regional delegation from the Poitou-Charentes region of France visited the Institute in the framework of a tour of south India, led by its President and ex-candidate to the Presidency of the French Republic, Mrs. Ségolène ROYAL. The members of this delegation were given a general presentation of the activities of the Institute by its Director, Dr. Jean-Pierre MULLER, followed by a visit of the Ecology, Social Sciences and Indology Departments, as well as the library, where the Chief Librarian, Ms. Anurupa NAIK gave them a presentation of the Institute’s rich documentary resources and its unique cataloguing system of these resources. (see photo)

March 7 A delegation from the French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) visited the Institute, with as an objective, to develop partnerships with India in the fields of environmental sciences and social and economic sciences. The Head of the Ecology Department of the IFP, Dr. Raphaël PELISSIER, gave them an overall presentation of the activities of the Institute, followed by a presentation of the Ecology Department. Dr. Marc ROESCH, researcher involved in microfinance-related studies at the IFP, then presented them the Social Sciences Department. They then proceeded to a visit of the Geomatics Laboratory, where its Head, Dr. Frédéric BORNE, explained to them some of the ongoing projects in which the laboratory is actively involved in. The team then had discussions with the Heads of Departments of the IFP on possible future collaborations with the IFP. The INRA indeed sees the IFP, with its well-established reputation, as an excellent entry point and as a centre of reference for building research partnership networks in India, in which their researchers would find an excellent working platform. The delegation was headed by Guy RIBA, Director General of the INRA for scientific planning and research and evaluation programmes, and Michel EDDI, Director General of the INRA for support to research. They were accompanied by Hervé GUYOMARD, Laurent BRUCKLER, Jean-Marc GUEHL, Daniel BARTHELEMY, André TORRE, Alban THOMAS, Bernard CHARPENTIER, Lucie CHEYNIER and Yves GRIVEAU. (see photo)

February 22 Jérôme MONOD, Senior Advisor to the former French President, Jacques CHIRAC, visited the Institute with his wife. French Historian and researcher at the IFP and EFEO, Dr. Jean DELOCHE, gave them a very detailed presentation of the permanent exhibition at the IFP on the Old Pondicherry (1673-1824) revisited, as well as a thorough visit of the different research Departments. They then proceeded to a visit of the EFEO, which was conducted by Dr. François GRIMAL.

February 18 French Senator, Robert DEL PICCHIA visited the Institute. He was greeted by Dr. Jean-Pierre MULLER, IFP Director, who presented him the research streams led at the IFP. He then visited the three Departments of the IFP, namely the Ecology, Social Sciences and Indology Departments as well as the Library and the Geomatics Laboratory. (see photo)

February 16 The Ambassador of France in India, Mr. Jérôme BONNAFONT visited the Institute in the framework of a two-day visit to Pondicherry. He visited the Departments of Ecology, Social Sciences and Indology, as well as the Library and the Geomatics Laboratory. Following the visit, the Ambassador met with representatives of the local staff to discuss issues related to the salary revision of the local personnel. The visit was concluded with a cocktail in the presence of the Ambassador and all the IFP staff members, in the gardens of the IFP. (see photo)

February 14 A Delegation from the EFEO, France, headed by Mr. Jean-Michel DION, Deputy Director General for Higher Studies, and comprising Mr. Gilbert PUECH, President of the Administrative Council of the EFEO, Mr. Franciscus VERELLEN, Director of the EFEO and Mr. François LACHAUD, Director of Studies at the EFEO, visited the Institute to see the manuscript-cataloguing programme and the library. The visit was conducted by Dr. Dominic GOODALL, Head of the Pondicherry Centre of the EFEO, and Dr. Frederic BORNE, Head of the Geomatics Department of the IFP. The visit to Pondicherry was conducted in the framework of a tour of 7 centres of the EFEO in Asia, which is a preliminary step in their evaluation of the four-year plan for 2008—2011 of the activities of the EFEO. (see photo)

February 7 Mr. M.S.GILL, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India and currently member of the Rajya Sabha, visited the Institute. He was given an explanation of the activities at the Institute by the Director, Dr. Jean-Pierre MULLER. He met the Chief Librarian, Ms. Anurupa NAIK as well as the Head of the EFEO Centre in Pondicherry, Dr. Dominic GOODALL, who presented him the manuscript collection of the IFP. (see photo)

January 10 A group of twenty retired French Generals from the prestigous Saint-Cyr Military School, France, came to the Institute with their spouse, where Jean DELOCHE showed them his exhibition entitled Old Pondicherry (1673-1824) revisited which gives a comprehensive picture of the Urban Development of the town from 1673 to 1824. (see photo)

Browse Archives

  See the listing of our VIP visitors for the year 2004-2007
  See the listing of our VIP visitors for the year 2003