This plunge into the heart of a new world – with its codes, hierarchies, ambassadors, advisers, attachés, first and second secretaries – led me to deal with a wide range of issues for which physics had not prepared me. From the Erika oil spill to the pursuit of the Castors, from the (temporary) leadership of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology to organising a lunch for around ten French government ministers… Through this insight, one might gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the vast machinery – ‘the network’, ‘the department’, ‘the staff’, ‘Fanev’, ‘TDs’ – and the subtle hierarchies that make and sometimes break careers, Through postings in Germany, Egypt, Brazil and Morocco, this is ultimately a physicist’s journey into the world of diplomats – the clash of two different worlds, and the surprises that result.”

Speaker: Dr Christophe de Beauvais

Christophe de Beauvais began his career as a researcher at the CNRS in solid-state physics, before taking up posts at our embassies in Germany, Egypt, Brazil and Morocco, where he was responsible for academic and scientific cooperation. A former director of external relations at the École Polytechnique, he is now director of external relations at the Lyon Cancer Research Centre (CRCL) and a strategic adviser to aivancity, the leading institution for artificial intelligence.