CHASE Placement - The Sorbonne Paris

In January 2022, Covid infections were soaring in France to half a million a day, and all but essential travel from the UK to France had been banned. I was eagerly awaiting a change in the regulations to seize the opportunity of a CHASE placement in Paris. As soon as non-essential travel was permitted, I completed the pre-travel PCR test and boarded the Eurostar to take up my placement at The Sorbonne. CHASE even ensured that I had accommodation within walking distance of the university, to minimise the chance of contracting Covid whilst in France. The studio flat was situated in the heart of the Latin Quarter, in an animated street full of bistros. The building dated from the sixteenth century and the flat was directly above a French restaurant. It was a two-minute walk to Notre Dame and the bookshop Shakespeare and Company. In short, a dream location!

Most importantly, it was a five-minute walk to The Sorbonne. My placement supervisor at The Sorbonne ensured I was introduced to her PhD students with similar research interests. We first made contact at La Maison de la Recherche (the Research Centre), another building in the Latin Quarter which has played a more prominent role since the arrival of Covid. I was introduced to fellow Early Modern doctoral researchers who gave me tours of the university area and facilities. They also helped me obtain my BIS (Bibliotheque Interuniversitaire Sorbonne) card for the student library. I would highly recommend this, as it provided a place for me to carry out research, and gave me access to books, and printing and scanning facilities. There is also a smaller library at the research centre, in addition to rooms that can be booked for group study. As there are no student union buildings, my fellow early modernists described the French student café culture, and I was taken on a tour of the cafes where much of their reading, thinking, discussing and writing take place.

I was armed with A-level French, which proved useful in daily communication, but the Anglophone Studies Department has a good level of English, so future placement applicants without French would be able to communicate in English within this department. Within the first month, there were two international Shakespeare conferences at The Sorbonne. Early Modernists from France attended in person, so it was a good opportunity to meet international colleagues from a wide variety of French universities. I also took part in the regular Early Modern seminars with French colleagues. My placement supervisor arranged for me to guide a French Masters student with his research and reading on Early Modern acting. Concurrently with these activities, my placement supervisor also asked me to develop a section of my research to present to The Sorbonne. In my final week, I gave a one hour talk on a particular aspect of my work to a French audience and answered questions regarding my research. This was a wonderful opportunity to explain my research to non-native English speakers.

In my lunch break, I could wander in the nearby Luxembourg Gardens or along the banks of the Seine; at the weekends I walked to The Louvre, The Musee d’Orsay, The Pompidou Centre, Le Marais, and The Pantheon. I will remain eternally grateful to CHASE for facilitating this experience, and my supervisor, Professor Andrew Hadfield, for supporting my application. Dr Steve Colburn at CHASE provided invaluable support throughout the process, helping to organise the placement and ensuring that it was a good fit with my research interests. I would highly recommend any student to apply for a placement at The Sorbonne in Paris. It provides a fascinating insight into university life in France while developing useful skills for a future academic career.