Creation of the "Arts and Heritage of Afghanistan" prefiguration chair

29 August 2022

Foundation

Catherine Colonna, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, welcomes the creation of the "Arts and Heritage of Afghanistan" prefiguration chair supported by the Inalco Foundation.
Two women walk past the huge cavity where one of the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, known to locals as the "Father Buddha," used to stand, June 17, 2012.
Two women walk past the huge cavity where one of the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, known to locals as the "Father Buddha," used to stand, June 17, 2012. © CC BY 2.0 Sgt. Ken Scar / DVIDSHUB‎

On the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of the archaeological delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA), the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms Catherine Colonna, welcomed the creation of the prefiguration chair Arts and heritage of Afghanistan carried by the Foundation in partnership with the DAFA and the French Institute in Afghanistan.

This chair "will continue France's remarkable commitment to the preservation and promotion of Afghan heritage", in the words of the Minister.

At the origin of this chair project, an emergency action launched as soon as Kabul fell in August 2021 to take in Afghan academics and students in danger. In record time, this "Emergency Afghanistan" campaign mobilized a wide circle of friends and supporters of Afghanistan, be they academics, archaeologists, diplomats, writers, students or committed citizens, French, Afghan, Italian, or from other horizons. Two Afghan academics and five students were able to join Inalco.

The opportunity to create a chair dedicated to the arts and heritage of Afghanistan quickly became an obvious way of preserving and continuing to promote a culture, history and knowledge that, despite a century of work, has never been sufficiently documented and is now in danger.

"Inalco is a pioneer in the emergency reception of academics in danger, notably in partnership with the Collège de France. By its very nature as a place where the world's cultures and languages meet and mingle, it was natural for Inalco and its Foundation to commit to safeguarding Afghan knowledge". In the words of Jean-François Huchet, President of Inalco.

Thanks to the support of first-rate partners, this prefiguration chair is now a reality: the Inalco Foundation would particularly like to thank the DAFA and the French Institute in Afghanistan for this essential partnership, the Fondation Maison des Sciences et de l'Homme (FMSH) for its structuring support for the project, as well as the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet and the Institut National du Patrimoine for their exceptional contribution to the prefiguration work for this chair.

Next step: a symposium open to the general public on November 18 and 19, at the Musée national des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, to explore the richness of Afghanistan's arts and heritage. More information to follow in the autumn.