François Gauthier Consul General of France in Boston

After studying humanities ("Ecole Normale Supérieure" and "agrégation" in History) and political science (at the Paris Institute of Political Studies), he entered ENA, the National School of Administration, in 1981. He graduated three years later and started his career at the Ministry for Overseas Development (Ministère de la Coopération), with which he served in Paris and in Africa (Senegal and Ivory Coast). He then worked from 1989 to 1993 at the Ministry of the "Intérieur" (or home office, responsible for internal affairs) as "sous-préfet" (i.e. representative of the State) in Sarreguemines (Lorraine) and Nevers (Burgundy Region). Following this, he returned to the Ministry of Overseas Development, where he joined the Minister's private office as an adviser, and then assumed in 1995 the position of Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Research. In 1997, he was once again appointed overseas, and became the Counselor for Cooperation and Culture at the French Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, until 2000, when he moved to serve as Deputy Chief of Mission at the French Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. In April 2002, he joins the private Cabinet Office of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, as a member of the diplomatic section, where he is in charge of immigration, consular affairs and African policy. At the end of this mission, in August 2004, he was selected to participate in the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fellows Program (Harvard University), where he stayed for a year.