The History of French Litterature

The Department of French Literature (formerly known as the Department of French Studies) is one of the departments within the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (formerly the Faculty of Letters) at Hasanuddin University. The department was established in 1983 under the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture No. 8154/0/1983. At that time, its official name was the Department of Western Roman Literature, based on the consideration that French belongs to the Romance language family, which was expected to expand in the future to include other Romance languages such as Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. However, as the term Western Roman was not widely recognized by the public, it was later changed to French Literature.

The establishment of the French Literature Study Program was based on the following considerations:

1. As a developed country, France plays a significant role in international relations, including with Indonesia, particularly in the fields of culture, social affairs, economics, politics, and technology.

2. France has long been one of the world’s leading centres of knowledge, culture, and technology since the Middle Ages, providing valuable resources for Indonesia’s development.

3. The French language has been a language of science and international communication since the 17th century, as well as one of the official languages of the United Nations.

4. In the era of information technology and globalization, foreign languages such as French have become essential tools for communication in international relations.

The origins of the Department of French Literature can be traced back to 1974, when French language courses were first offered at the Faculty of Letters, Hasanuddin University. Following the above ministerial decree, the Department of French Literature began admitting its first cohort of 12 students in 1984. In 1985 and 1986, the number of students increased to 15, and in the following years, it continued to grow to around 30–35 students annually. This increase reflected the growing public interest in learning the French language and culture.

The Department of French Literature has continued to develop—not only in terms of student admissions but also in the quantity and quality of its teaching staff. Initially, teaching activities were largely supported by part-time lecturers, but the department later began recruiting permanent lecturers with various academic qualifications at the master’s and doctoral levels. To enhance teaching quality, lecturers have participated in training both in Indonesia and abroad (particularly in France), focusing on teaching methodology, translation, cultural studies, and philosophy. These training programs have been conducted through cooperation with the French government (external) as well as through initiatives at the university and faculty levels (internal).