Didier Course

Didier Course serves as Professor of French within the Department of Global Languages & Cultures at Hood College, holding dual appointments for undergraduate and graduate instruction. His academic profile reflects deep expertise in early modern French studies with institutional connections spanning international research venues.

His educational foundation includes a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. from Universite de Nancy II, France, establishing his scholarly credentials in French literature and culture.

Professor Course's research interrogates the symbiotic relationship between literature and visual arts during France's early modern period, with specialized focus on Counter-Reformation religious texts and the semiotics of power in royal court aesthetics. His investigations extend to Parisian urban development between 1610-1710 and transnational dynamics in France-Morocco diplomatic-religious exchanges, revealing how spatial and artistic representations functioned as political instruments.

Recognition for his scholarly contributions includes a competitive NEH Summer Grant and invitations to prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities seminars at Harvard University and the American Academy in Rome, underscoring national and international validation of his research trajectory.

Mentorship constitutes a vital dimension of his academic practice, evidenced by leading student research delegations to primary archives at the National Library of France and Versailles Palace. Current scholarly activity centers on completing a monograph examining early modern Franco-Moroccan political-religious entanglements, building upon his established publication record in French cultural history.