Isabelle Schaffner

Isabelle Schaffner is a Professor of French Language and Literature at the École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, a position she has held since 2004. She is a member of the LinX Laboratory (Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Human Sciences) and an associate member of ITEM-CNRS (Institut des Textes et Manuscrits Modernes, ENS). Since 2022, she has served as Deputy Director of the International Center for French Language and Culture. Previously, from 2007 to 2018, she was Head of the French Section at École Polytechnique.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in French and Comparative Literature from the University of California
• PhD in American Literature from Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III

Dr. Schaffner's research centers on French and Comparative Literature, with a specific focus on Naturalism in both French and American literary traditions. Her scholarly work explores the intersections and divergences of Naturalist movements across these cultural contexts, contributing to a deeper understanding of transnational literary influences.

With a diverse teaching career, she has instructed at the University of California and Georgetown University in the United States, and in France for American institutions including NYU, Columbia University, Middlebury College, and the University of Southern California, as well as at ENSTA, Sciences Po, and ENS. Her courses cover French language and literature, including specialized offerings such as "Understanding France, Advanced French Language & Culture" and "STUDY IN FRANCE: FRENCH INTERMEDIATE COURSE B1-B2".

She holds significant administrative roles, serving on the jury for the École Polytechnique entrance examination and as an expert jury member for the Eiffel scholarships in the category of History, French languages and literature.

Dr. Schaffner is embedded in collaborative research networks through her affiliations with LinX and ITEM-CNRS, which facilitate interdisciplinary studies in the human sciences and modern texts and manuscripts, respectively.